


Happy Little Accidents

by coldishcase



Series: Sex Pollen and Other Inconveniently Lucky Happenstances [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: A tiny bit one-sided Cody/Obi-Wan, Aftercare (The best they can do in an uninhabited jungle), Ahsoka doesn't leave the order and isn't framed for the bombing because fuck canon, Anakin's terrible Flirting, Another Prequel Fix-It, Bottom Obi-Wan Kenobi, But mostly just Cody and Obi-Wan having a massive and healthy respect and admiration for one another, Canon-Typical Banter, Clones being sweethearts, Coming Untouched, Dubious Consent, Enthusiastic Consent, F/M, Fuck Palpatine he doesn't deserve an on screen death, Fuck the Code out of Obi-Wan's head, Hickies, Hurt/Comfort, I'll add anything I think of later, I'm gonna put dub con purely because the sex pollen thing makes it a little dicey, Intersex Obi-Wan Kenobi, Like the Jurassic Park Frogs that's the easiest way to explain it, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Mpreg, Multi, Multiple Orgasms, Obi-Wan and Anakin are two halves of a whole idiot, Obi-Wan doesn't know what to do with himself, Obi-Wan is male but has secondary sex organs, Oral Fixation, Porn with actually quite a lot of plot, Post-Coital Cuddling, Pregnant Characters, Sex Pollen, Switch Anakin Skywalker, Switch Padmé Amidala, The clones are really done with them, This fic is very weird, Timeline What Timeline, Tongue Fucking, Top Anakin Skywalker, We love clones in this house, a lot of this is fluff, but also Cody would DEFINITELY bang his general if given half a chance, but both characters do verbally consent, crack with feelings, even while they're fucking, force premonitions, gender-neutral terms used to describe vaginal sex because the character identifies as a man, good luck explaining it to any of your friends, handjobs, made up planet, meddling old coots, no beta we die like men, okay I think that's all for now, okay now for the sex part, seriously they just wouldn't shut up, sometime a little less than a year before ROTS, the jedi Council is dumb and a very convenient plot device, waxer is alive because fuck the umbara arc, we call it emocrack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:35:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 42,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24285976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldishcase/pseuds/coldishcase
Summary: [orchestral fanfare]Crashed on the wrong moon!Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, in a battle over the Jimyali System are sent with a detachment to support the forces on the 3rd moon's surface!They, along with one of their gunships have been shot down over the neighboring 5th moon, and are left stranded as the battle rages on in space.Left with heavily damaged starfighters and no way to contact their flagships, our Jedi heroes have set out in search for the crashed gunship they were separated from...[please read the tags!]
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Boil & Waxer (Star Wars), CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, CC-2224 | Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi, CT-7567 | Rex & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker, ObiAniDala - Relationship, Obikin - Relationship, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker, Super minor CodyWan, anidala - Relationship
Series: Sex Pollen and Other Inconveniently Lucky Happenstances [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1942318
Comments: 214
Kudos: 427





	1. Crash and Burn

**Author's Note:**

> IF YOU CAME HERE FROM LUNAR LIBIDO, SKIP TO CHAPTER THREE <3

“Well, this is quite the mess we’ve gotten into,” Obi-Wan states flippantly, looking around.

Save for the wreckage of their ships… it’s a rather beautiful place. Three suns hang low in the sky, in a precarious balance with one another. The surface of the planet is lush, reminiscent of Felucia in the amount of oversized foliage. However, the vibrancy of the colors sets it apart. And rather than large trees and leafy plants, there are more flowers and bulbs, in every color imaginable.

Their ships are not the only ones which went down. A gunship is crashed not far from them, carrying several troopers.

Anakin grunts his agreement, rolling a shoulder. “We’ve definitely had better crashes…”

“Let’s reconvene with the men,” the redheaded Jedi suggests, indicating the far-off, smoking crash site with a jerk of his chin. “With any luck, we can get the survivors to safety before our attackers come looking for us.”

“Good idea,” Anakin nods, leading the way.

Obi-Wan follows, getting out his comm and attempting to contact the other ship.

Relief fills him as Cody’s familiar helmet greets him promptly. “Kenobi, are you and Skywalker alright?”

“All that’s damaged is our pride, my friend,” Obi-Wan states, giving Anakin a cursory glance. “And our ships, I suppose. Anakin’s shoulder might need attention. What about on your end?”

“We’re alright, sir. A little banged up, but we all made it out of the crash. Ship went down on some massive flowers, it cushioned us pretty well. Didn't lose any men.” The Commander explains.

Anakin holds a leaf that’s larger than both of them out of the way, and Obi-Wan gratefully ducks under it as they continue their trek to the clones’ wreckage. “Good to hear. Find cover nearby, we’ll come to you.”

“Er, sir, I’d wait on that.” Cody starts, his tone a little worried. “The crash broke open a few flower pods and the air is thick with pollen here.”

Obi-Wan glances up at Anakin as the other’s lightsaber ignites, looking for the danger. There’s nothing though, just some foliage in the way, so he dismisses it.

“We have our helmets to filter the air, but whatever it is, it’s not safe to breathe. If you don’t have ventilation masks, you might want to stay back and we’ll head out to meet you.” Cody suggests instead, and the General gives him a nod.

“Alright, we’ll fall back to our ships, just follow the smoke, Cody.” Obi-Wan tells him, then looks up to tell Anakin they’re changing their plans.

He finds his former padawan hacking at some dense foliage with his lightsaber.

“Anakin wait-!” The older Jedi starts, his eyes going wide as he sees large flower bulbs where Anakin is trying to cut through.

His warning is too late, however, and a swing of Anakin’s saber easily splits at least a dozen of them. Pollen explodes outwards, filling the air around them with microscopic multicolored spores. He doesn’t even have time to think to hold his breath.

Anakin coughs and Obi-Wan does as well, accidentally breathing in a lungful of the spores.

“Sir? Sirs?!” the comm blares Cody’s concerned voice at them.

Anakin wildly throws out a hand, the Force moving with the gesture to blow the spores outward, away from them both.

Obi-Wan tries to catch his breath in the now-clear air, coughing as the spores catch and tickle in his throat. His eyes tear up involuntarily as he coughs, his body attempting to expel the intrusions. He tries to croak out a response to Cody, but every time he breathes in, he falls into another coughing fit.

It’s several minutes before either of them manages to speak.

“The kark was _that?!_ ” Anakin asks, starting to cough again as the shout irritates his throat once more.

Obi-Wan grimaces as he finally manages to stop coughing, not liking the way his throat continues to tickle. “… Cody? Can you still hear us?” he asks, refocusing on his commlink now that he has autonomy over his body again.

“Yes,” comes the clone’s relieved response. “… were you exposed to the pollen?”

Anakin’s head twists around to attention at the question. “You knew about it?”

“They encountered the pods too, when they crashed,” Obi-Wan explains, frowning at the ground around them, which is now brightly colored with the thousands of tiny spores that have settled into lush forest floor.

“Why didn’t they _warn_ us?” Anakin demands angrily.

The older Jedi meets his former padawan’s gaze with an equally harsh look. “I was _trying_ to, but you were too busy thinking with your _lightsaber_ to listen, Anakin.”

“Do either of you feel ill?” Cody asks, blessedly distracting them from arguing further.

Obi-Wan shakes his head, as does Anakin. “Besides coughing myself hoarse… I don’t feel any different.” The redhead states, picking himself back up off the ground.

Anakin follows suit, dusting telltale spores off of his robes. “Me neither. Do we have any idea what they are, or if they’re poisonous?”

Cody shrugs. “My visor just says the air is unsafe to breathe. There are a few compounds listed, but I couldn’t tell you what any of them mean.”

“Tell me,” General Kenobi insists, his hand coming up to brush colorful spores out of his beard.

“Er… I’m sure I’m gonna mispronounce these, but here goes. Fen… eleffel-ameen, amp- amfitameen? And, er, Sell-denny-full sit-uh-sitrate?”

“Fenel… Phen _yleth…_ ” Obi-Wan sounds the words out with a hand on his chin for a moment before some realization seems to dawn on him, and his head shoots up in alarm. “Wait, Phenylethylamine, amphetamine, and Sildenafil Citrate?”

“Er, yeah, that seems like what I’ve got here.” Cody says with a frown that can’t be seen through his helmet. “Why? Are they poisonous?”

Obi-Wan shakes his head. “Not in such small doses. We aren’t in danger of dying, at least. But, Anakin and I need to be separated _immediately.”_

“What? _Why?_ ” Anakin demands, moving towards his Master. “You always say we should stick together.” The way he’s looking at Obi-Wan makes the older Master worry that he’s already been affected.

Obi-Wan retreats away from the taller man. “Be _cause,_ Anakin, those are some of the _same_ drugs you’d find in- er- male _enhancement_ pills.” His own mind is starting to feel slightly hazy, and he internally panics as he stumbles further backwards. “Back away, Anakin. We are about to have a very interesting next hour or so… and it would not be good for us to be so… so close for the duration…”

Why is he protesting again?

“General Kenobi?” Cody calls to him, sounding worried.

Obi-Wan shakes his head to try and clear away the encroaching fuzziness. He brings a hand to his temple.

“Are you alright, Master?” Comes Anakin’s concerned voice, suddenly very close to him. Oh, that hand on his face is very nice…

Focus, Obi-Wan.

He fights his instincts, pushing away Anakin’s hand. “Do you never listen? Get _away_ from me, Anakin, this is… this is _not_ good.” He dodges the younger Jedi’s attempt to grab his arm, then half-stumbles and half-runs back in the direction of their ships.

He doesn’t get far before a warm, heavy weight knocks him to the ground, and all the air very suddenly leaves his lungs.

 _“Kriff,”_ Obi-Wan barely has the wits about himself to speak to Cody. “Don’t come find us. Shelter in place,” He orders, then shuts off his comm. He doesn’t need their men getting in the middle of… whatever is about to happen.

Anakin has his arms wrapped tightly around Obi-Wan, and the mechanical one digs painfully into the older man’s gut. Kenobi huffs, making a token struggle to escape before slumping against the spore-flecked ground, accidentally breathing more of the stuff in. He can feel his body reacting to the chemicals he ingested, a fire spreading through his lower regions.

He tries to tell himself that the spores are the _only_ reason.

Anakin’s weight is enough to hold him down easily. Obi-Wan might be able to use the Force to remove him if his mind weren’t so hazy, but he lacks the will to even try. He _likes_ the feeling, he likes having Anakin so close, pressed against the whole length of his body.

“We’re safer together, Master.” Anakin murmurs feverishly, burying his nose into the crook of Obi-Wan’s neck. It feels nice.

The older Jedi whimpers softly as Anakin shifts, and something hard introduces itself by poking at the back of his hip. The younger Jedi grinds against him, clearly seeking relief. “Anakin, you… you don’t want this…” he protests weakly, shuddering under the feeling of his former Padawan holding him down.

He shouldn’t- _really shouldn’t-_ want this. He’d be lying if he said he’s never fantasized about Anakin before, however. The Jedi Knight has grown up quite a lot since he was Obi-Wan’s padawan, into a very handsome, striking young man... and Obi-Wan is not dead yet.

And with how often they end up working in _very_ close quarters with one another… well, Kenobi just reasoned that it’s a natural byproduct of knowing someone so intimately. Attraction is a weakness of the body, it’s something he can’t help, but he never even once imagined that he would ever act on it.

Or that Anakin even would want him back.

He already has Padme, after all, which is not a fact that his former padawan has elected to share with him as of yet.

And, that’s the kicker, isn’t it? He doesn’t even know if Anakin _does_ want this. They’re both quickly succumbing to the influence of the pollen, and while Obi-Wan is secretly enjoying the physical attention from his fellow General… Anakin seems to be much further gone.

What if he doesn’t really want this?

“Obi-Wan,” the younger Jedi pulls him from his thoughts as he finally responds to his last protest, “stop thinking so much. You always think too much, Master… of course I want this. Can’t you feel how much?” Anakin pointedly grinds down again, giving Obi-Wan a good sense for just how keyed up he is.

The older of the two grits his teeth, involuntarily bucking down to relieve some of the pressure on his own member. He doesn’t think he’s quite as affected as Anakin, which makes sense considering he was further from the pods when they burst and probably inhaled less of the pollen.

It still _aches_.

And he has it twice as bad thanks to his species variant’s obnoxious biology.

The planet he’s from, Stewjon, is infamous only for its harsh climates and deadly terrain. Acid Rain, Hail the size of fists, and harsh sunlight that tended to set what little plant life the planet has alight. Most people live underground, but that isn’t safe either. There are massive crevasses in the planet’s surface, and as if that weren’t bad enough, they have a tendency to shift at random, closing rifts and reopening new ones without warning.

Needless to say, when a Jedi crashed on the planet just after his 3rd name-day and found him to be Force-sensitive, Obi-Wan’s parents were more than happy to give him over to the Order. Both to keep him safe, and as some form of payment for taking them off-world as well. It was either that, or all of them would be left on the dangerous surface of the planet.

It has since been completely evacuated, thankfully.

It’s thought that a transport ship carrying immigrants crashed on the surface centuries before, perhaps in the time of the Old Republic. That’s how humans ended up there at all. It’s a wonder the species survived so long, but… Humans are nothing if not adaptive to their surroundings. That does mean that Obi-Wan has a bit denser bone structure and tougher skin than most, allowing him to take more hits and survive greater falls than the average human would.

The other major adaptation is less useful as a Jedi.

Because so many of Stewjon’s occupants tend to die very suddenly, to assist the population in continuing to reproduce, the humans there developed the ability to perform the duty of _both_ sexes, should there be a shortage of one or the other.

And, considering that Obi-Wan is constantly surrounded by hundreds of men and very few women, courtesy of this war and the use of clones… his body has decided he needs to adapt.

It’s not been an issue before, save for the inconvenience of needing to deal with a period. As a Jedi, he has no intention of sleeping with anyone as it is. So, after an embarrassing and panicked discussion with Doctor Nema following the first time he began to bleed… he just made sure to start carrying feminine hygiene products and carried on.

Well, now it’s a problem.

Because, not only is he growing uncomfortably hard underneath his former padawan… but the newer addition between his legs is _wet_ , too. His inner thighs already feel slick from it, and, _kriff_ , he’d do just about anything to relieve the throbbing ache inside him.

“It’s the pollen,” He tells Anakin, finally responding through gritted teeth. “You don’t… really want this.”

The younger man pauses where he was working a hickie into Obi-Wan’s neck, frowning against the skin there. “… Of course I want this, Master…” The other Jedi suddenly gets off Obi-Wan, flipping the shorter man around to face him before holding him down once more with his weight, as if he’s worried Obi-Wan will bolt without listening if he doesn’t. “I used to… dream about you, you know. When I was a padawan… I always thought you were so elegant, Obi-Wan.”

That shocks the older Jedi, his eyes going a bit wide at the confession from Anakin. But- he reminds himself- he shouldn’t think all that much of that… it’s not uncommon for Padawans to have crushes on their masters while going through the stages of puberty.

He had one on Qui-Gon, after all, and he grew out of it. Anakin must have too, and the pollen is just bringing those old forgotten feelings back up.

It does, at least, put his mind a little more at ease to know that Anakin does feel _some_ attraction for him outside of the pollen’s influence. At least when this has run its course, Anakin won’t be so horrified to have slept with someone he’s never considered in any sense like this.

“You’re thinking too much again,” Anakin states, looking amused when Obi-Wan focuses back on his face. “Let me take care of you, Master. If we’re gonna be useless for the next hour, we might as well have a little fun being useless together.”

And… who is Obi-Wan to argue with such sound reasoning?

He gives a little nod, not trusting his voice. With Anakin pressed against his front like he is, his whole body feels like a livewire, dialed up to 11. Even with the layers of robes between them, Anakin’s weight is enough to drive Obi-Wan wild. He _needs_ more.

His nod seems to be a good enough answer for Anakin, who lights up and returns his lips to Obi-Wan’s neck, high enough that the Jedi Master would probably need to keep his hood up to hide it later. That’s not a thought going through Obi-Wan’s mind at the moment however, not when the younger’s lips feel so _good_ on his neck, and there’s a knee shoved between his legs, putting pressure in just the right places.

“ _Anakin_ ,” he gasps, head tilted to give his padawan better access. He’s all but stopped fighting off the haze of lust shrouding his mind. There’s not really any avoiding this, and Anakin is right… if they’re going to be keyed up messes for however long it takes this stuff to wear off, why be suffering alone and separate if they’d both rather get off with the help of one another?

It’s just good sense, really.

His hand goes around Anakin to grip the back of his tunic, back arching as the younger slots their hips together _just right_. “Kriff—”

“Relax, Master,” Anakin murmurs, rolling his hips and making the older Jedi gasp at the feeling. There’s a lot of fabric between them, but it’s fluid enough that it really doesn’t leave anything to the imagination. Anakin is… well-endowed. “I’ll take care of _you_ this time… I’ll make you feel good.”

The older Jedi internally cringes a bit at Anakin’s clumsy attempt at pillow talk, but he’s not about to complain when he’s this worked up. (… Anakin probably saves all his smooth lines for Padme.)

“Then get to it already, Anakin,” he says, knowing his former padawan is fishing for some sort of verbal confirmation that it’s okay to do this. It puts him a bit more at ease to know that even with the cocktail of hormones running through them both, Anakin wants his permission.

His words have the desired effect. Obi-Wan can feel a spark of happiness jolt through the Force between them as Anakin pulls away from his neck to beam down at him. His former padawan always did have the most breathtaking smile. He should try to bring it out more often…

The bright look draws a smile from Obi-Wan’s lips as well, though his is a little more nervous. For once, Anakin is going to have to lead the way, because Kenobi only knows about what they’re about to do in _theory._ It’s not that he hasn’t ever had the opportunity or desire for another man before… he’s just never been particularly interested in casual sex, and his vows to the Jedi forbid anything more meaningful from occurring.

His answering smile seems to be enough encouragement for Anakin. The younger sits up, starting the process of removing both of their robes and tunics. Obi-Wan isn’t much help, too nervous and aching to focus on anything more complicated than getting his arms out of his sleeves.

The older Jedi’s trousers are already soaked through by the time Anakin gets to them, and the younger laughs as he sees it. “Already? That was fast, Master.”

“No--” Obi-Wan turns his face away, cheeks heating up from embarrassment. “It’s not- It’s not that.” He gives an anxious hum. “… you will see.”

Anakin arches a brow at him, but only gives a little shake of his head as he tugs off the Jedi Master’s worn red boots, and then peels the trousers off his legs as well. And then, well. He sees.

At first the only response is silent confusion. Obi-Wan holds his breath, not sure if he should preemptively explain, wait for Anakin to ask, or just hope his former padawan accepts it and moves on without question.

He deliberates a bit too long, and Anakin makes the decision for him by asking. “… uh, Master? What’s… going on between your legs?” He looks briefly unsure, then seems to think of some explanation on his own and looks up at Obi-Wan’s face with a cautiously questioning look. “Are you, uh- transitioning? Am I calling you the wrong or the right pronouns?”

 _Bless his heart_ , Obi-Wan thinks.

Leave it to Anakin to think this is how transitioning works. While he finds the sentiment mostly just amusing, it also emboldens Obi-Wan to know that he taught a man who would so readily accept and respect his wishes if that were the case.

“I’m not, Anakin. I have always been and always will be content as a he.” And now comes the more awkward part. “It’s… hard to explain. I’m a variant species of human, my genetic makeup allows my anatomy to be a bit more flexible to adapt to… certain environments. Now, I can give you a science lesson, or you can get to work,” he points out, his cheeks feeling so hot from embarrassment that they must be redder than his hair.

Anakin relaxes a bit at the confirmation that he hasn’t been misgendering Obi-Wan. It wouldn’t be the first time his old Master has hidden something from him out of a lack of trust. At least it’s not that.

“You can give me the science lesson later, Obi-Wan,” he says, amused. “Is it okay for me to touch?” he asks, not sure exactly _how_ comfortable his old Master is with the secondary genitalia.

Obi-Wan bites his lip harshly as Anakin’s flesh hand trails down his chest, just skirting his copper treasure trail. “mmnph.” He says intelligently.

Anakin tosses him an amused glance. “Sorry, don’t speak that language, Master.”

The elder shoots him a testy glare. “ _Force_ , Anakin get to it already, _yes.”_ He replies, exasperated.

The younger doesn’t make him wait, using the durasteel mechno-hand to hold the other Jedi down by his hip while his flesh hand (as Obi-Wan so succinctly put it) _gets to work._

Obi-Wan shudders as Anakin’s hand brushes along his aching erection, his hips only stopped from bucking by the mechanical hand holding him in place. Anakin is more interested in what lies past it, his thumb stroking past Obi-Wan’s balls and dragging along the soaking clit.

And- oh.

A sharp gasp leaves Obi-Wan’s throat at the first touch, then Anakin begins to _massage_ it and the older Jedi can swear he sees stars. It’s clear that Anakin knows what he’s doing, and, _kriff_ it feels so good. The Jedi Master writhes underneath the attention, losing any of his remaining control as Anakin introduces him to a world of pleasure he’d never experienced before.

For his part, Anakin stares down at his disheveled former Master with a mixture of awe and appreciation. It’s rare to see Obi-Wan with a single hair out of place, and unheard of to see him like _this_. It feels like a rare gift, only for his eyes. _The Negotiator_ laid out underneath him, losing his legendary self-control from only his hand.

Anakin is suddenly grateful that Padme taught him how to _really_ use his fingers.

Even though he knows he’s good at this, Obi-Wan’s responsiveness goes a little beyond what Anakin would expect. The other man is gasping and squirming like he doesn’t know what to do with himself, and then a sudden thought pops into the Jedi Knight’s mind.

No, surely not…

“Obi-Wan, have you ever…?”

The older is panting, eyes fever-bright, but as Anakin stills his hand and speaks to him, his gaze snaps to the younger. His cheeks are red. _Cute._

“You are not my first,” he tells the younger, looking embarrassed. It’s true, he did have a few casual affairs, though mainly when he was still a padawan, and all with members of the opposite sex.

The answer is deliberately evasive, and Anakin picks up on it-- more than familiar with his Master’s penchant for dodging the real question. “I’m not asking that,” he points out, blue eyes dancing with amusement as he pointedly drags the pad of his thumb over Obi-Wan’s clit. “You said this is new… have you _experimented_ with it yet?”

That draws another ragged gasp out of Obi-Wan, who bites down harshly on his lip once more. He reluctantly shakes his head, then turns his face away in embarrassment.

The younger grins roguishly, feeling even more like he’s been gifted something special. He’s getting to take his perfect, unflappable Master apart in a way no one ever has before. “Well… if we’re only going to do this once…” Anakin starts, turning his face to give Obi-Wan’s inner thigh a kiss, near his knee. “Let me show you everything you’ve been missing?”

Obi-Wan still can’t look at him, somehow made more embarrassed by the intimacy of the soft kiss. “… I’d like that.” _So much for keeping this a meaningless, casual encounter_ , he thinks. Obi-Wan half-wishes that Anakin would just hurry up and get this over with, so they can get this pollen out of their systems and forget it ever happened.

The larger half of him is soaking in the attention from Anakin, all too happy for the excuse to give in to his secret fantasies.

What a perfect Jedi he is, indeed.

When this is over, he’ll have to reassess the attachment he so obviously has to Anakin.

The Jedi in question looks like a Wookie cub on Life Day as Obi-Wan gives him more or less free reign. He grins, squeezing the other Jedi’s hip with his mechno-hand as he continues to work him over with his flesh hand. “I have a lot to teach you,” he teases his old Master with a grin brighter than Tatooine’s twin suns.

Obi-Wan gives a little groan, throwing up an arm to cover his face. “ _Force,_ you’re going to be insufferable about this. I will have to change my name and leave the Order.”

Laughter rings out from Anakin, his breath tickling the older Jedi’s knee. “How naïve of you to think that’s all it takes to get away from me, Master.”

“I think I could pull it off.” Kenobi retorts, relaxing a little thanks to the banter. “I’d just have to hide on a sand planet.”

“You wouldn’t,” Anakin snorts, “You’d hate it.”

“I would rather endure _that_ over your gloating,” The Jedi Master states, mostly joking. “I hear Jakku is nice and quiet.” The banter is nice. It’s normal for them. It makes it somehow easier for him to accept this- frankly- _unbelievable_ thing that is happening to them.

Then, of course, Anakin has to go and throw him off-kilter again, right as he’s starting to get comfortable. A sharp gasp escapes as Anakin almost vengefully presses a finger into him.

And- oh. That’s.

“Still with me, Master?” The smile is audible in Anakin’s voice.

Obi-Wan is sure his brain just stopped working for a second. It just quit on him. He’s not even sure it’s back on yet. “Anakin, please _warn me_ before you- kriff-”

Anakin cuts him off by hooking the finger inside him and- well, this is a fun way to finally get Obi-Wan to shut up. “I thought you like surprises,” He responds cheekily, the nerf-herder. Anakin knows he’s gonna have to hurry this up though, things are starting to get painful below the waist. “Stop tensing so much, Master. We’ll never get anywhere if you don’t relax.”

“I’m _trying_ ,” The redhead states, letting his head thump back to the ground and doing his best to loosen up.

“You know what Master Yod--”

“If you bring up Master Yoda while you’re fripping me, Anakin, I don’t care what hormones are in my system, I am getting up and leaving you here to suffer.”

Anakin’s only response to the steely look is a sheepish smile as he wisely shuts up.

With Anakin now blessedly silent, Obi-Wan focuses on relaxing himself. Like Anakin, he’s getting to the point where the waiting is starting to be painful. He tries not to think about it all too much as Anakin works him open on his fingers, touching places no one, not even Obi-Wan has touched before and pulling helpless sounds from the elder’s throat.

He’s not trying to play it up for Anakin’s sake, though he knows his former Padawan is thoroughly enjoying seeing him come undone like this. Even so, he knows he’s making a lot of noise. The Clones can probably hear them, he thinks. That’s a horrifying thought.

Better not to dwell on it.

Anakin gives a slightly pained grunt as he shifts and his own swollen and sensitive erection drags along the ground. He can’t take much more waiting, but Obi-Wan is far from relaxed and ready so… “Okay, time to change tactics,” he mutters, releasing Obi-Wan’s hip. “Might wanna brace yourself, Master.”

If he had two flesh hands, it wouldn’t be much of a problem for him to multitask… but the minimalist mechanical hand he was afforded by the Jedi isn’t something he wants anywhere near his junk. And he’s not about to risk hurting Obi-Wan with it either so… time to get creative.

The Jedi Master makes a soft, confused sound as Anakin withdraws his fingers, then hoists Obi-Wan’s hips up, throwing one of the man’s knees over his shoulder.

“Anakin, _wha_ -oh!”

Skywalker takes _extreme_ pleasure as his former Master cuts off into a moan when Anakin gets ahold of him with his mechno-hand and angles him such that he can dive right into that wet opening with his tongue.

It frees up his hand that _isn’t_ a castration waiting to happen to stroke himself. He doesn’t even need lube, considering how wet his fingers are just from starting to open Kenobi up.

Anakin would feel more guilty about finishing himself off so early if he didn’t know for a fact that he had a round or two left in him. It just hurts too much to ignore right now. (Clearly, this pollen stuff wasn’t really considering its victims might be fully clothed and reluctant to agree to sleep with each other.)

Obi-Wan, for his part, has forgotten how to use words. He did manage to brace himself, to a point. He’d gotten his arms underneath his shoulders and was supporting himself on his elbows while Anakin held his body up in a completely unreasonable position. (not that he is in any sort of state of mind to consider complaining.

There’s a tongue inside him, and Anakin is… he’s doing this thing, where he nips without really biting down, and then _sucks_ on his clit, and Obi-Wan can’t string one coherent thought together. He might be screaming, he isn’t sure because he doesn’t think he’s breathing.

Anakin is thoroughly enjoying himself. He gets off quickly with the help of his hand, making a mess of the ground (but who cares?) and then he reaches up to give Obi-Wan’s aching and proud erection the same treatment.

When his former master comes undone, it’s truly spectacular. His entire body seizes, his length twitching in Anakin’s hand while his secondary sex throbs and pulses on the other man’s tongue.

Obi-Wan is… _overwhelmed_ with feeling, his whole body arched and pulled taut as he orgasms twice, simultaneously. There’s a sticky mess on his stomach and Anakin’s hand, and he thinks it’s over, it should be over… but his body doesn’t let up. _Anakin_ doesn’t let up, his tongue continuing to tease his clit and suck on it, and he just… keeps going, and going. He thinks it’s never going to end, his throat is hoarse and he’s crying from the relentless pleasure of it, when Anakin finally draws away.

His secondary sex finally stops throbbing, and he feels sore and aching and so _very_ good as his body sags, finally able to breathe again. Everything is too much, too stimulated. Even the forest around them feels too bright and too colorful.

Anakin lets him drop back onto the ground, careful not to set him in the mess he made a few moments earlier. Both of them are panting, heaving breath as hard as they have after any sparring session.

The younger Jedi moves up to flop on the ground by his Master’s side, throwing an arm over the shorter man like a sated, lazy lion. They can both still feel the effects of the pollen under their skin. They’re far from done, but for now they can take a break, have a breather.


	2. Too much of a Good Thing

“How was that, Master?” Anakin asks, his voice a low, pleased purr.

He should really be able to come up with better praise than to just stare up at the colorful canopy of flora above them and let out a breathy _“kriff.”_

It seems to be a glowing enough commentary for Anakin’s ego however, as he laughs softly, pulling the boneless redhead closer to his side and goes back to kissing his neck like he had been before. At this rate, Obi-Wan is going to have to wear a turtleneck for the next week. He can’t seem to muster the energy to be annoyed however, so he allows it, just snuggling lazily into Anakin’s side.

“You taste good,” Anakin tells him softly, and Obi-Wan is about to ask if he means his neck before his brain catches up. Oh. “Like… sweet and a little salty. I could spend this whole time eating you out, Master.”

Everything is sore and oversensitive, but Obi-Wan’s cunt still gives a valiant throb at that thought. (Even despite the atrocious delivery of Anakin’s flirtations. Oh well, no one has ever accused Obi-Wan of having good taste in anything.)

All he manages is a pathetic little sound, curling more into Anakin’s side and seeking his warmth. (And someplace he can hide his blushing face.)

It makes a low, rumbling laugh bubble out of Anakin’s chest, slow and smooth like honey. “Not feeling very talkative now, Master? That’s alright… You’re cute like this.” Anakin quiets down then, just humming some song Obi-Wan doesn’t recognize as he traces his finger in aimless patterns along Obi-Wan’s flushed skin.

It isn’t long before he can feel that Anakin is ready for another round, the evidence of it pressing into his hip. Anakin doesn’t push to do anything about it right away.

The older Jedi has mostly recovered, able to trade soft, idle conversation with his former padawan about the flora around them. Obi-Wan theorizes that the noticeable lack of fauna on the planet to help pollinate is likely the reason these pollen pods evolved, to help increase the fauna population.

Anakin expresses his dislike of the idea that he’s some flower’s science project, which gets a hearty laugh out of his former Master.

After giving Cody a call (voice only) to let him know they aren’t dead, but they also won’t be much use to anyone anytime soon, they rehydrate from the canteens that they discarded to the side with their pile of clothing, not wanting to end up stuck in another round without getting some water in them first.

Skywalker gets increasingly handsy as time passes, at first just providing light massages to his arm and shoulders… but soon those hands are wandering to less innocent places. It starts on his hip, then small circles on his inner thigh. He doesn’t put up any resistance, just leaning back into Anakin’s chest and opening himself up to the attention.

Anakin decides not to focus as much on his secondary sex this time, instead slowly stroking his former Master’s length to take the pace a little slower than before. Obi-Wan is a little more familiar with this form of arousal, and doesn’t lose himself so easily, eventually turning in Anakin’s arm to press light kisses to the other Jedi’s neck and shoulder, not looking to mark like Anakin had on his skin.

When he starts to take Anakin in hand and stroke him in kind however, the younger gently brushes his attentions off. “Not yet…” he starts, pulling back a little to meet his old Master’s eyes. “… I wanna be inside you, this time… if that’s okay.”

Enthusiastic doesn’t quite begin to describe the agreement he receives. Obi-Wan throws a leg over Anakin’s waist, then rolls so he’s sitting on top of his former padawan with a self-satisfied smirk. He’s not going to be strung along for the ride this time… “Thought you’d never ask,” He says, his eyes twinkling.

Anakin is more than happy to let Obi-Wan take the lead this time. He’s pretty sure his old master won’t be so cocky once he’s full of cock, anyways. “Alright, I just-” He reaches towards the pile of his robes, calling his belt to him with the Force. With a sinking feeling… he realizes it’s the wrong belt. “Kriff… I don’t have any condoms on me. Do you have any?”

Obi-Wan shakes his head but doesn’t look as bummed as Anakin feels. “I don’t carry any. I’m on birth control, though. I have the implant.” He brings Anakin’s hand to his arm, where he’ll be able to feel the small, hard lump embedded in his muscle. “And I’m clean. Are you?”

The knowledge of the implant momentarily distracts Anakin. “Master, those things aren’t safe, especially around all the droid poppers we use.”

A small frown forms on Kenobi’s face. “I’m careful about that. And it’s more effective, particularly in case I am captured for an extended time and can’t take the pill.” Which given their line of work, is a very _real_ possibility.

The younger man doesn’t look too happy about it, but he lets it go, dropping Obi-Wan’s arm. “I suppose that’s fair. And I’m clean too. You’re sure you’re fine without a condom, Obi-Wan? We could call Cody, I’m sure he--”

Obi-Wan covers Anakin’s mouth with a pointed glare. “Do not finish that sentence.”

There’s a wet feeling on his hand, and- “ _Eurgh_! Licking my hand, Anakin? Really? What are you, _nine_?”

The younger Jedi is laughing as Obi-Wan retracts his hand and wipes it off on Anakin’s chest. “I’m just messing with you, Master. As long as you’re sure you wanna take the risk, you have the green light from me.”

“I’ll take a plan B pill when we’re rescued,” Obi-Wan reasons with a shrug. “Just to be on the safe side, since you’re so concerned.”

Anakin gives the other man an eye-roll. “Of course I’m concerned. Who’s gonna crash-land on weird sex-pollen moons with me if you’re out of commission for eight months? I’ll be so bored.”

The other man lets out a low, amused hum as he slides back towards Anakin’s hips. “Good to know you have your priorities straight, Anakin,” he teases back with a shake of his head.

With permission now to go ahead, Obi-Wan lifts his hips, reaching down to find Anakin’s length. He’s plenty loose and relaxed after what they did before, so neither of them bothers with the pretense of working him any further open. He does hesitate once Anakin is lined up, feeling a little nervous in part because he’s not sure at all how this is going to feel.

Anakin senses his hesitation and runs a soft hand down the other man’s thigh. “Take your time, Master.”

The gentle reassurance puts Obi-Wan at ease, and he nods, starting to sink down at his own pace. It’s… like nothing he’s ever felt before. He keeps his head this time, taking as long as he needs to adjust and soak in the feeling as he’s filled.

If either of them is struggling, it’s Anakin. It’s taking nearly all that he has to stay still while Obi-Wan takes his sweet time getting comfortable.

It seems like forever before they’re completely joined, but then they _are_ , and it’s such a glorious feeling. Both of Anakin’s hand are digging into the flesh of Obi-Wan’s hips, fingertips gripping hard enough to leave bruises behind. If Obi-Wan didn’t feel so _full_ and good, he might’ve complained about the mechno-hand.

As it is, he can’t imagine complaining when he feels so wonderful.

An experimental roll of his hips has them both gasping, and then Kenobi is leaning forward, supporting himself with his hands on Anakin’s chest while he starts to move.

There isn’t much talking this time, both of them a lot more focused on the feeling of each other where they’re joined together. They get a steady pace going, Obi-Wan controlling the speed and Anakin meeting him with a powerful thrust every time he moves back down.

It doesn’t take long before they’re both close, the pace gradually picking up until they’re both panting. Anakin took one of Obi-Wan’s hands in his own at some point, and they’re both gripping each other almost tightly enough to break fingers.

Obi-Wan comes first, crying out softly and bowing his head as he shudders through another orgasm. At least this time, it doesn’t get drawn out into multiple like Anakin had done to him before. It was enjoyable, don’t get him wrong… but very overwhelming.

Anakin follows him a few thrusts after, his mechanical grip tightening on Kenobi’s hip as he spills into him.

They finally still, both panting and breathless from a mixture of pleasure and exertion.

After a moment, Anakin reaches up to brush a loose bang out of Obi-Wan’s eyes. His hair is always so carefully kept, but the younger Jedi always thinks he looks the most handsome when it loses its hold after a good sparring session or battle and starts to fall into his face.

The blue-grey-green eyes of his Master focus on him then, a soft sort of emotion that Anakin isn’t sure he can identify in them. Nothing is said as the Jedi Master finally moves, getting off of Anakin’s hips and laying back down next to him.

The younger Jedi can’t help but think about how natural this feels… It’s a worrisome thought as he realizes just how easily he could get used to this.

 _It’s not the Jedi way_ , Anakin reminds himself firmly. _And even if I don’t care much about that, Obi-Wan does. He won’t let this become anything more, and anyways… I already have Padme. Don’t be greedy._

“We should get up and find a water source,” Obi-Wan interrupts his thoughts with a tired stretch. “I’d rather not be covered in pollen and bodily fluids for the duration… and our canteens are nearly empty.”

The suggestion gets a nod from his counterpart, and slowly they both sit up.

Skywalker lets his eyes fall shut, reaching out with the Force to search for the nearest source of running water. It has to be close, seeing as how the flora is so dense here. He can feel Obi-Wan doing the same to his side, his presence like a warm and bright star in the Force.

Everything is very sharp right now, and it doesn’t take them very long to open their senses and hear the sound of running water a short ways to their right.

“The Force is very strong here,” Anakin states, opening his eyes as his Master does.

They help each other to their feet, then collect their clothes, covering up with just their outer robes as they begin to head towards the water.

Obi-Wan nods, needing Anakin’s help supporting himself as his legs feel a bit like gelatin during a ground tremor after their last round. “That’s likely due to our activities. I read an old text once that said in the past, the Je’daii would sometimes use sex as a means of enhancing meditation,” the older Jedi informs him softly, leaning into the taller man’s side as they walk together. “Something about two Force users being so in tune with one another, in such an intimate act, the act of creating life… it makes the Force gather to it very strongly. I never thought I’d experience it for myself, but it is… truly fascinating.”

That is… news to Anakin.

“The Jedi used to have sex with each other? Why’d they stop? Doesn’t that conflict with the no-attachments rule?”

His questions get a laugh out of Obi-Wan, who shakes his head where he’s leaning it against the other man. “That was the Old Order, Anakin. The Je’daii. Did you pay any attention in my history lessons? Back then, there was no rule against attachments.” He pauses. “There were also far more Sith.”

“Well, _maybe_ I’d have paid more attention if you told me about the more interesting stuff like this,” Anakin huffs, putting an arm around the shorter man as Obi-Wan stumbles over a root. “I kinda wish this was still an acceptable form of meditation. I still have trouble with it sometimes… but right now, I feel like I could meditate for hours, no problem.”

That admittance causes the older Jedi to frown softly up at his former padawan. “Why didn’t you tell me you still struggle to meditate?”

Anakin hadn’t meant to say that. Oops. He’s so relaxed right now, he forgot that he’s been lying and telling Obi-Wan he does his daily meditation no-problem. For years.

_Because you’ll look all sad and disappointed like you do right now._

The taller Jedi looks away, jaw tight. “It’s only sometimes.” Liar. “I’m not your padawan anymore, Obi-Wan. I don’t need help figuring out every little issue I have.”

He can feel it in the Force as his words sting his old Master. The near-blindingly bright Force presence retreats a little, and Anakin instantly misses his warmth. “… I didn’t mean to imply you are incapable of anything, Anakin…” The older man says softly, a sad tinge to his voice. “But even I need help sometimes. And though you are no longer my student, you are my friend, and I will always be happy to help you when you need it.”

It’s a surprise to hear Obi-Wan admit that he isn’t as perfect as he seems to be. It’s not that the Jedi is overly self-confident… but usually his humility just helps drive home the fact that he’s a better Jedi than any other Anakin knows. To hear him admit he needs help from time to time puts a balm on Anakin’s soul and starts to heal a wound he wasn’t aware was there.

He doesn’t know what to say, but thankfully Obi-Wan fills the silence between them after a moment. “If you really would like to try it, we could meditate together after the next wave of this,” he suggests, and there’s a hopeful note in his voice that Anakin can’t bear to crush.

“Okay, Master,” Anakin says, relaxing again and holding Obi-Wan a bit closer to himself. “We should definitely do that.” He doesn’t know what he’d do if he ever lost him.

(Or, he does, thanks to the Rako Hardeen Incident… but he doesn’t want to think about that. He felt the pull of the Dark Side stronger than he ever had, and nearly gave into it until Obi-Wan let him feel he was still alive and posing as his own killer. Anakin still isn’t sure he forgives the other Jedi for keeping him in the dark on that plan. He understands the reason, and he appreciates that Obi-Wan went to such lengths to protect the Chancellor… but he and the Council hadn’t trusted Anakin with his own part to play in it all. It sat wrong with him that Obi-Wan would allow the Council to go through with such deception.)

This isn’t something he wants to think about now. He knows his old Master regrets the choice terribly, and has apologized to him for it more than once… He would never do such a thing again.

(But then, Anakin hadn’t thought he would do it the first time.)

They reach the water, and Anakin releases that train of thought into the Force, not wanting old wounds to ruin the relaxed and happy atmosphere they currently have…

They have a lot of time left ahead of them.

. . .

It went on for another 4 hours.

They fall into an easy rhythm, alternating between exploring one another’s bodies and finding ways to fill the downtime between waves of the pollen’s influence as it works its way through their systems.

They clean themselves in the river several times and have to go upstream a few times over the course of it to fill their canteens, which thankfully filter the water so they can safely drink it.

The two Jedi call Cody again and find out that he managed to get a call to _The Resolute_ , and Ahsoka was relieved to know all of them are alright. She’s still leading the battle over the system, and it’s nearly won. After losing contact with their detachment, she called for reinforcements and Plo Koon came to her aid, helping to lead the ground forces with Rex which Anakin and Obi-Wan were meant to be doing before they had been shot down and crashed on the wrong moon.

She knows they’ve been ‘incapacitated’ and that it isn’t life-threatening, but she doesn’t know the details, which they are grateful for.

The battle is still hours from being over but she is confident that she’s winning, and she’s promises that as soon as it is done, she’ll be sending a retrieval crew to find them. Anakin is incredibly proud of how well she’s handling herself.

The meditations they share, though short due to the frequency of their induced bodily needs, are very good. Anakin feels more mentally relaxed and sound than he has since before he was knighted.

Obi-Wan’s pollen wore off first. He was a good sport about it, and still helped Anakin through his last couple waves, but they were both relieved when it was finally over. The sex was enjoyable for the first hour or so, but after that they were both a bit too sore and tired to enjoy it much.

When they’re sure it’s all out of their system, they clean off in the river as best they can, then finally collect up and put on their clothes, comming Cody to let him know they’re on their way to find him. The Force makes it easy once more to do so, and when they reach the small encampment the clones have set up, they’re given spare helmets to help filter the air and prevent any further incidents.

Anakin is mostly just tired and takes the chance to eat something and then get some sleep.

Obi-Wan is the sorest he’s ever felt, between the bruises Anakin gave him and just the sheer amount of prolonged physical exertion. He can’t get comfortable enough to sleep, so he eats a couple ration bars and then calls Ahsoka with Cody to get a status update and let her see that he’s alive and well.

She lets him know that the battle is nearly won, the separatists are in retreat, and she’ll be sending a detachment to pick them up within the hour. She can’t talk much, but he can tell that talking to him and seeing for herself that he’s alright (and that Anakin is just sleeping on the job when he directs the holorecorder towards her Master) is a huge relief for the young Togruta. It’s easy to forget sometimes that she’s only 16, considering how mature and capable she’s become over the course of the war.

After that, he passes the time by playing (and cheating at) card games with the clones.

It’s good fun and helps take Obi-Wan’s mind off the glaring fact that during the entire four hours he spent with Anakin… the younger man never properly kissed him once.

. . .

Anakin wakes up just before Ahsoka lands to rescue them. (They told her to wear a filtration mask and land several hundred meters from their location just in case her landing breaks any pods.)

It goes off without a hitch, and as Obi-Wan (still limping), Anakin (looking exhausted), Commander Cody, and their platoon reach her location and emerge from the surrounding foliage, she runs off the ship to give both Jedi very tight hugs. Anakin returns the hug in kind, while Obi-Wan just attempts not to wince while he gives her a softer hug back. She thankfully gets the message quickly and loosens her embrace on him, giving her Master’s Master a wide-eyed look.

“What happened to you two? Master Kenobi, you look like you fell down a cliff.”

The clones around them give a spattering of laughter. Obi-Wan shares a look with Anakin.

“Master, maybe you would be better suited--”

“Oh no, Anakin. She is _your_ padawan.”

The younger man sighs, looking annoyed. Of course he has to explain this.

“Anyways, you deserve it after all the hickies you gave me,” The older Jedi states vengefully before blowing a kiss as he walks past them and onto the retrieval ship, leaving Anakin to handle the awkward explanation of what happened.

Skywalker’s face goes even more red in embarrassment as a couple of the clones (Cody being one of them) in their detachment laugh uproariously and Ahsoka’s eyes go wide as saucers.

 _Serves him right,_ Obi-Wan thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated! Thank you for reading!!


	3. Unexpected Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was fun while it lasted... now it's time to see how well everyone is adjusting to things going back to business as usual...

They don’t talk about it.

This is more so Obi-Wan’s fault than Anakin’s. Whenever the younger even so much as brushes Obi-Wan’s arm for the next few weeks, the former Master finds an excuse to be elsewhere. It was frustrating to Anakin… but he knew this situation had to be hard on his by-the-books perfect Jedi Master… so he doesn’t take it personally.

They do, at least, continue to share a few meditations with one another.

Padme took the news surprisingly well. She understood that Anakin and Obi-Wan didn’t exactly plan to or even have much control over deciding to do it… and Anakin didn’t try to hide it from her, so according to her, there was nothing to forgive.

She just made some passing joke about how he had to let her take a shot at Obi-Wan at some point. They laughed, and they both let it go.

His former Master had been assigned to a mission elsewhere for the past week, but now he and the 212th are rejoining with him and the 501st for another assault on Christophsis. After another talk with Padme, Anakin has resolved to pull Obi-Wan aside at the first opportunity to clear the air between them. He wants things back to normal.

He hates the feeling of missing Obi-Wan when his best friend and brother is right next to him.

It’s earlier than he usually wakes up, but he misses his friend and he’s full of nervous energy, so to kill some time before he’s to meet with Obi-Wan on the bridge of newly-arrived _Negotiator_ , he heads to the mess and gets some caf for himself and an offering of tea for Obi-Wan. The herbal kind, since he knows his old Master isn’t fond of what he calls ‘watered down mud’.

Then he heads over, figuring he can be a bit early for once and Obi-Wan can just suffer his presence for a while longer.

General Kenobi is already on the bridge, and the first thing Anakin notices about him is that he looks pale. His nose wrinkles when Anakin enters, and he turns to look at his unexpectedly early visitor, noticing the two drinks in hand. “Good morning… what Force-forsaken stench have you brought with you, Anakin?”

He’s in a bad mood already. Well, hopefully his offering will fix that. “I brought you tea, Master. I’ve got caf. Morning,” He greets, walking up and offering Obi-Wan’s cup to him.

The General takes it, at first looking grateful. But, as he lifts it to take a sip, breathing in the scent, he looks vaguely nauseous, and quickly lowers it once more, setting it aside. “… Thank you for the thought,” he says, giving an awkward swallow.

“Are you feeling alright, Obi-Wan?” The younger asks with genuine concern. It is not like his Master to turn down a cup of tea.

“I think I may have eaten something that disagreed with me,” The older Jedi brushes off the concern, turning his eyes elsewhere as he rubs the beginnings of a headache at his temple. “It will pass.”

His worry appeased for the moment, Anakin follows him to the map table to discuss the plan, where Rex and Cody are waiting. So much for being early, if his Captain still beat him here. “If it doesn’t, I’m taking you to see Painless when we’re done.”

The older Jedi just gives a noncommittal noise, focusing on the plan. However, as the holomaps pop up and move around in accordance with their discussion, he looks increasingly queasy.

It comes to a head when he clamps a hand over his own mouth, releasing a noise of distress and eyes suddenly darting around, looking for a receptacle.

One of the nearby shinies notices his distress, and eager to help his General, quickly pulls off his helmet and shoves it into the Jedi’s hands.

Obi-Wan doesn’t have time to disagree or refuse before he’s puking into the thing, holding it with one hand while using his other against the edge of the holotable to support himself. A pitiful sort of sound leaves him once it passes, and he stays hunched over for another few seconds before looking up, an unhealthy pallor to his face as his embarrassment shows. Cody hands him a wipe for his face, which he takes and uses gratefully, then drops into the helmet.

His eyes go over to the trooper it belonged to, and Anakin can tell his master is mortified by the situation. “… I am so sorry. I will get you a replacement.”

“It’s alright, as long as it wasn’t the floor this time,” the shiny responds, not looking bothered in the slightest.

Obi-Wan seems only slightly mollified by the soldier’s flippant attitude. “Thank you for that. What’s your name?”

“CT-9021, sir,” comes the quick response. “Haven’t got a nickname yet.”

“You do now!” one of the older clones, Punch calls. “How’s Upchuck sound?”

The newly-dubbed Upchuck grins, while Obi-Wan’s mortification grows.

“Sounds perfect,” Upchuck answers, causing a chorus of laughter to sound around the bridge. Obi-Wan looks as if he’d very much like to disappear.

Cody isn’t one of the ones laughing. Instead, he just gestures for his men to quiet down, shaking his head at Kenobi. “Sir, that’s the third day in a row. You need to go see Painless or I’ll make you start carrying around a bucket.”

That’s when Anakin is shaken out of his shock and kicked into speaking. “He’s been like this for 3 days?”

Obi-Wan grimaces, picking up the tea he set aside earlier and taking a swig to help get the taste out of his mouth. Even if he currently finds the smell of it foul, anything is better than the taste of bile. “It’s nothing serious. It usually passes before midday.” He states offhandedly, “It’s not as if I’ve contracted the Blue Shadow Virus… The war doesn’t go on hold for an upset stomach.”

Anakin looks unconvinced. “You could have caught something worse than it seems right now, Master. I’m taking you to Painless, now. Come on.” He doesn’t wait for a response, grabbing the other Jedi by the elbow and starting to pull him along.

Cody is quietly relieved that someone is making his General go see Painless. If this had gone on any longer, he would have dragged Kenobi down there himself.

“We have to finish discussing--”

“Rex and Cody can handle it,” Anakin interrupts, his tone leaving no room for argument. He takes the soiled helmet from Obi-Wan and drops it in the incinerator as they pass.

The older Jedi decides he shouldn’t argue any further, but he does twist his arm out of Anakin’s hold and follows of his own accord. And that, well. It reminds Anakin of what he wants to talk about. He better get to it before Painless gets ahold of Obi-Wan. The General is so rarely convinced (or more accurately, bullied) into going to the medbay, so Painless always takes full advantage of the times that he is there.

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin says, stopping once they’ve reached the elevator. His friend looks a little out of it still, nearly colliding with him. Anakin reflexively takes ahold of his upper arms to stop Obi-Wan from walking right into him. “You’ve been avoiding me and this conversation for weeks, now. We need to talk.”

If it’s possible, the redhead looks even less enthusiastic than he did about going to the medbay. “What’s there to talk about, Anakin?” He asks in a tight, dismissive tone as he looks over at the elevators and pushes the call button using the Force. “We did what we had to, it happened, it’s over, now can we please go back to pretending it _didn’t_ happen?” He tries to pull back again.

Anakin isn’t having it this time, keeping Obi-Wan from twisting out of his grip. “No, because you _clearly_ aren’t handling it, Obi-Wan. I’m fine with moving on if that’s all you want, but you have to stop… this.” He squeezes one of Obi-Wan’s arms before letting go and allowing his former Master to take a step back. “That. How am I supposed to have your back in a fight if you won’t get close enough to touch me, Obi-Wan? Are you afraid of me? I’m not going to just _jump_ you for Forcesakes. _Please_ tell me what’s eating you.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” The other Jedi states sedately, his eyes fixed on the ground. Anakin distinctly gets the impression that he somehow said exactly all the wrong things, but he doesn’t know what the Sith hells is going through Obi-Wan’s head right now, so how the kark is he supposed to know what the right thing is?

“I…” For a second, Anakin thinks Obi-Wan is about to say something critically important, and he leans in… but the moment is gone just as quickly and the older Jedi simply shakes his head, walls of durasteel still in place. “… I’m being stupid. Don’t bother yourself with it. I just… am not used to encounters like that, and I’ve been… overthinking the appropriateness of…” His expression twists like he doesn’t like the sound of the word he’s using. “… contact. I apologize for concerning you with it.”

Did he hear that right? “Obi-Wan, that’s ridiculous.” He steps close again and puts a hand on the other man’s arm. “This means the same as it always has, okay? It’s nothing, just friendly.”

The older Jedi pulls his arm away again, looking as if he’s been burned. “… I’m sorry,” he mumbles, eyes averted again.

Anakin wants to pick him up and shake him. Force, why is his old Master being so _dense_? “I don’t want a kriffing apology, Obi-Wan. I want to know what’s wrong, and if I can do something to help.”

“You can’t.” Obi-Wan responds a bit harshly, deciding the conversation is over as the elevator opens and he brushes past Anakin to go inside.

Anakin doesn’t try to stop him this time, just following and doing his best not to feel like Obi-Wan had just kicked him in the gut. He’s done something wrong; he can tell that much. But he doesn’t know _what_ and his former Master doesn’t seem inclined to tell him.

The silence hangs heavy between them in the silent elevator as they make their way to the medbay level. It’s a relief to Anakin as much as it is to Obi-Wan when they can get out of the confined space. Anakin feels like he should say something… but he’s also very sure that anything he says will make this worse. Obi-Wan’s shoulders stay tensed defensively the whole way, only relaxing to give a friendly greeting when they pass by Clones.

Painless must have been notified that they’re headed his way, because he’s outside waiting for them. “Sirs,” he greets, giving a nod.

“Hello, Painless,” Obi-Wan greets the medic with a small sigh. He knows the clone just cares about his health, but he never looks forward to confronting him.

“Hey,” Anakin greets, following the other two into the medbay.

The clone medic herds Obi-Wan towards a prepped cot, making him take a seat before crossing his arms over his chest and addressing him. “So, what symptoms have you noticed besides the nausea?” He starts, skipping over any formalities. He knows Obi-Wan well enough to know his General doesn’t want to be here any longer than necessary.

Kenobi gives a soft hum, frowning as he tries to recall everything.

“He didn’t like the way the tea I brought him smelled,” Anakin tells him, frowning at his former Master. “Herbal is his favorite.”

Obi-Wan nods at the point. “A few things have smelled repulsive that normally wouldn’t. But, besides that… I’m just very tired. I’m even sleeping more than normal and I’m exhausted. And sometimes even with the heater in my room turned off I feel too warm to sleep. And… headaches. Off and on all day.” The General decides to be clear and honest for once. It seems he isn’t keen on not getting this addressed after the mortification he experienced this morning.

“How long ago did these symptoms start?”

“The nausea started about five days ago, but the headaches and exhaustion started a bit sooner,” Obi-Wan answers begrudgingly.

Painless listens, and by the time Obi-Wan finishes, he’s frowning softly in thought. He takes a moment to respond, addressing Anakin. “I’m going to run a few tests on him, so you’ll need to leave the room, sir. Go find something to do, it will be a few minutes at least.”

Anakin nods, knowing that it’s more or less standard procedure to ensure patient-doctor confidentiality. Obi-Wan is in good hands, so he doesn’t mind. “Sure thing, Painless.”

“Would you get a new helmet for um- Upchuck?” Obi-Wan asks, still seeming embarrassed about the name. He isn’t about to deny one of his men the right to choose their nickname however, no matter how personally mortifying it is to him.

Anakin nods. “Good idea. See you in a bit, Master. Don’t give Painless too much hassle.” And with that, he goes.

“Thank you.”

When he’s gone from the room, Painless turns to Obi-Wan with a concerned look. “There’s one test I want to run first, Sir. I don’t think you’re sick.”

The Jedi doesn’t catch on, just appearing confused. “… alright. Go ahead.”

Painless nods, retrieving two finger prick tests. Obi-Wan allows him to take a blood sample from his middle finger and fourth finger, then watches a little curiously. Painless gives him a low-strength nausea pill along with a cup of water, then takes the blood tests over to be analyzed.

“I’m checking for HCG levels, sir,” The clone states, watching his General as the computer breaks down the blood samples.

It takes Obi-Wan a moment to register what that means. His brows draw together when he does. “… there’s no way. I’m on birth control, I have the implant and I’ve never been late to have it refreshed. You know that.”

“It isn’t 100% effective.”

“It’s as close to 100% as you get, and I’ve only had sex _once_ , there’s no way.” Well, he and Anakin did it a few times, to be fair. But _still_. “I even took a plan b pill to be safe.”

“It’s possible that the pollen had other effects, Obi-Wan. The samples we recovered did appear to create an increase in fertility. We didn’t test the effects it had on birth control, however. It may have flushed it from your system or otherwise made it ineffective.”

The General opens his mouth to argue further, but then the machine analyzing the blood sample softly beeps to alert them that the results of the blood tests are ready. Painless opens them up, and the screen displays what he already knew it would. Both blood samples returned positive for pregnancy.

Obi-Wan, who had stood up during the argument, stares at the screen for a moment as if in a trance. Slowly, he sits back down, a worryingly blank look on his face.

Painless lets him have a moment, knowing that it’s a big thing to process.

The General doesn’t appear to be handling the news well, if the way his hands tremble as he brings one up to run through his hair is any indication. Painless is about to take charge of the situation when there’s a soft knock on the door to let him know Anakin has returned. He’s a little relieved. Surely Kenobi will want to talk to Skywalker, and the latter will help him acclimate to the knowledge.

“Shall I let General Skywalker in so you can tell him the news?” He asks, already beginning to head for the door.

Before he can get very far however, Obi-Wan is looking up in alarm, responding in a tone edged with panic. “No- I… please don’t tell him, Painless, I’m not--” He cuts himself off before he can say what’s on his mind. “I don’t want him to know. Not yet, at least. Can you… can you send him away? I just- I don’t want to see him right now.”

The medic looks his General over searchingly. He can tell there’s some undercurrent of something there. Something is going on between Skywalker and Kenobi, and Painless can’t begin to imagine what it is… but he also knows Kenobi’s bullshit well enough to know that he’s hurt and hiding it, and apparently Skywalker is responsible.

He looks his General over one more time, then nods and speaks softly. “I’ll get rid of him. Stay there, I’ll be right back.” He’ll get an explanation from the redhead after Skywalker is gone.

Anakin is pacing outside when Painless comes out of the med bay, a neutral expression on his tattooed face. “General Skywalker,” He greets, waiting for an acknowledging nod from the Jedi before continuing. “I’m having a little difficulty pinning down the issue with General Kenobi. I’m going to keep him quarantined here until I can identify what’s causing this, as I suspect there may be some sort of parasite.” Well. It’s not an incorrect description, technically speaking. “It may be a few hours before I release him, so you might want to get back to work. I’m sure he’ll come find you when I’m done with him.”

The Jedi General looks unhappy, and worried. “Can’t I go in and check on him before I go?”

The medic crosses his arms over his chest. “With all due respect, sir, I’m the doctor here. I am perfectly capable of checking up on him without your assistance.”

That isn’t what Anakin meant and he knows it. But the Jedi doesn’t have a good argument, so he just gives a stiff nod, releasing a sigh. “… give him my get well wishes, at least, won’t you?”

“Of course, Sir.” Painless says, nodding and relaxing a bit when Anakin doesn’t put up anymore of a fight. It’s so clear to him that General Skywalker cares a lot about Kenobi, so he really doesn’t understand why his General wants to keep this from him.

When he’s sure that Anakin is making his way back down the hallway towards the bridge, the medic goes back into the medbay, turning his full attention back on Obi-Wan. The man is further back on his cot now, knees pulled to his chest and practically hyperventilating. When Painless returns to the room alone, he calms down a fraction, but remains huddled, stiff as a board save for his trembling hands and shoulders.

The medic notes how pale he looks and gets a bucket for him to use just in case he decides to expel the contents of his stomach again.

Once its nearby, he sits down close to the General, putting a gentle hand on one of his knees and waiting for Kenobi to lift his face and look at him.

When he does, Painless sighs, putting on his best authoritative voice. “I just directly lied to a superior about medical matters for you, General, so you need to give me an explanation. Talk, Kenobi. What’s going on; mission report.”

The man almost looks like he’s going to refuse but thinking of it a report seems to help him. Painless knew it would. Kenobi has always been good at compartmentalizing things and making them more concise and less complicated for the sake of mission reports.

It takes him a few moments to collect his thoughts, but he manages, and he starts speaking in a surprisingly even voice. “I… have come to realize that I love Anakin. This is a new development, I… I mean, I have _always_ cared for him as a brother, but the love, that’s new.”

Painless doesn’t want to interrupt, but he can tell Kenobi is getting a bit sidetracked by his own thoughts, so he interjects. “I don’t mean to be blunt, Sir, but that’s been pretty obvious to all of us for a good while. A lot of us in the 212th and 501st were surprised it took the Jimyalian pollen to get you two to do something about it. He very clearly cares for you too, so what I don’t understand is why don’t you want him to know about this?”

Obi-Wan slumps as he listens, eyes going downcast once more as he gathers his answer up. “… Anakin is already in love. With Senator Padme Amidala. He… hasn’t trusted me enough to tell me, but he’s not very good at hiding it so I know they’re keeping a secret relationship going. I’ve… I don’t plan to turn him in to the Council, but I’ve been waiting and hoping that he’ll come to me about it on his own… but he doesn’t trust me, it’s been over 2 years, and he still doesn’t trust me.” The normally somewhat aloof and controlled Jedi looks like he’s starting to fall apart, tears pricking at his eyes as he continues to speak. A few of the loose objects around them are floating of their own accord.

He isn’t talking like this is a mission report anymore, but it seems like now that he’s started speaking, he can’t stop until it’s all out. “And it’s- it isn’t just that. I just- I want him to be happy. I can’t… He loves Padme, she makes him happy in ways I can’t, and I don’t want to interfere with that. If I tell him about this and it puts a wedge between them, he’ll never forgive me… I’d rather wait until I can… I don’t know… convince him it could be someone else’s. So he doesn’t have to feel responsible, so he can keep being happy with her.”

He knows it’s irrational. Anakin knows he isn’t very sexually active. As soon as he finds out the timeframe, he’ll know. But… he has to try something.

The General wipes traitorous tears from his eyes. “I’d rather raise this child alone and keep my friendship with both him and Padme than take the chance that he’d want to be a father to the child, Painless… Though, I know if it came to a choice between me and her… he would choose her. And I don’t… I don’t want to see him make that choice. But more than that, I don’t want to make him choose at all. Because I know either result would hurt him terribly…” He explains, feeling out of breath by the time he’s done. Not because he’s breathing particularly hard… instead it feels like his lungs are being crushed by some intangible force.

Painless lets him talk, remaining nearby and keeping his supportive hand on the General’s knee. It’s a bit uncomfortable to see the Jedi in this state… but he knows Kenobi needs this right now, and he cares too deeply about his General to shy away. “Breathe, Sir…” he says, slowly moving his hand from Obi-Wan’s knee to his shoulder, like he’s trying to calm a skittish animal.

It works. Obi-Wan sniffs, using his wrist to wipe his eyes again. Most of the objects that were floating before gently return to their respective surfaces. “Sorry, I—”

“Don’t apologize, sir.” Painless cuts him off firmly. “Have you had anyone else to talk to about things like this?”

The General’s answering head shake doesn’t surprise him.

“Sir, one of the first things we learn on Kamino is that you have to trust your brothers.” Painless starts, keeping his hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder to help him stay grounded. “Not just with our backs, but with everything. We’re in a war, we all see terrible things and experience horrible traumas, and we all form very strong bonds with each other because of that. I know you’re a Jedi, but it is not a weakness to feel things, sir, it’s just human. It must have been very hard for you to hold onto all of that alone for so long, so as your doctor, thank you for sharing that with me. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.”

His gentle words have the desired effect, helping Obi-Wan to relax and realize that he isn’t going to be marked as inadequate for how he acted. Painless has the ridiculous urge to fight the entirety of the Jedi Order for making him feel this way. No one should be able to make _his_ Jedi this sad.

“I’m not going to make you talk to General Skywalker, and I won’t tell him if you don’t want me to. I do think it’s wrong of you to put yourself and your own wellbeing second to his… but if it would cause you more stress to talk to him than to keep this to yourself, then don’t.” Painless starts, not too happy with this recommendation. He has half a mind to march up to the bridge and tell off Skywalker in front of the whole ship himself. And maybe throw a few condoms in his face.

Obi-Wan still doesn’t seem capable of saying much, so the medic continues to fill the silence, knowing that his voice is helping to calm the other man. Or, he can guess that that’s the case, considering there are no medical supplies suspended in the air anymore.

One more pressing question to ask. “You do still have a choice, General. Do you want to keep the child? If this isn’t something you’re ready for, it isn’t something you have to follow through on.”

That question causes Kenobi to stiffen a little and finally speak. “… I want to keep her. As a Jedi I can’t… her life is precious, no matter how new.” He tries to explain, but Painless can tell that it isn’t solely Obi-Wan’s responsibility as a Jedi to protect life that made him choose to keep her.

“Understood,” He states softly, but something else stuck out to him. “Her, sir?”

The Jedi nods, eyes closing briefly. “I am quite certain.”

Painless won’t pretend to understand the ways of the Force.

His hand squeezes Obi-Wan’s shoulder gently. “I think you should consider finding a couple other people you trust to discuss this with as well. Pregnancy, and subsequently raising a child, is not a one-person job. You will of course, always have me when you need someone, sir, but we _are_ at war and you should have a few people who know of your situation and can help you when I’m not available.”

He thinks Obi-Wan is going to argue with him on the point, but after a second, he just nods. “… Cody will have to know, and… Waxer and Boil are good with kids…” He starts, trailing off a bit. “I’ll have to inform the council regardless… they’ll notice the secondary force signature whether I tell them or not.”

It’s good that he’s thinking not just about who he can trust and who he has to tell, Painless thinks. He picked Waxer and Boil just because they’ve shown themselves to be good with children. He’s sure the entire 212th Attack Battalion will eventually take it upon themselves to become Obi-Wan’s support network as this goes on… but for now he can sympathize with Obi-Wan on wanting to keep it to a few people he trusts.

“That’s a good start, Sir.” The Medic states firmly. “But, if I might point out, everything Cody knows, Rex tends to know soon enough. If you don’t want him talking to Skywalker, you should probably also talk to him yourself.”

Obi-Wan sees the wisdom there and nods, finally adjusting his position to sit more naturally on the cot, rather than all huddled up. The talk has clearly done him a bit of good.

Now that the General seems to have recovered some of his composure, Painless decides it’s time to be a doctor again, and gives Kenobi’s shoulder a pat before standing up and crossing the room. He comes back with two bottles of pills and notepad, which he starts writing on.

He wasn’t exactly trained to handle pregnancies, considering his men are all… well, men. But when he was informed of Kenobi’s rather unique physiology, he did his research just in case this ever arose. He’ll do a lot more now that it is actually happening, but for now he knows the basics of what his General will need.

“Alright, now for the boring part…” he says, with a lighter tone than he’s used up to now. “These will help with the morning sickness. Take two with water when you wake up every day and that should be enough. These will help with the headaches, just take one every 6 to 8 hours.” He says, marking the two bottles of pills more clearly with what they’re for and the recommended dosage, then handing them each to Obi-Wan. “You need to be eating at least two full meals a day, sir. And don’t think about trying to skip any, I’ll have Cody watching you like a hawk to make sure you do.” He says, noting it down on the list he’s making for the General to follow. “There’s more to consider, but I’m sure you’re overwhelmed enough as it is… so until your next check in with me, just stick to that.”

And here comes the part he _knows_ Kenobi will try to fight him on. “Speaking of check-ins, General, you will be coming by the medbay at _least_ once every three days. Normally, you would only have to come in every few weeks… but with the War, I want to catch any possible complications as early as we can, so you’ll be meeting with me more regularly.”

The Jedi nods, albeit reluctantly. Painless can almost see him already coming up with excuses to put his check-ins off. “Kenobi,” he starts in a warning tone. “If you don’t come to me yourself, so help me, I will track you down wherever you’ve gone off to, and I will give you your check-in, regardless of where you are or who you’re with. So you _better_ not try to duck out on me, understood?”

With _that_ tone of voice… well, Obi-Wan knows better than to fuck with Painless on this one. “… Understood,” he responds softly.

“Good.” Painless says, offering the Jedi another solid pat on the shoulder before handing him the note with his instructions written on it. “You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you need to before getting back to work, sir, but otherwise you’re cleared to go.”

The redhead nods but makes no move to get up immediately. He leans back against the wall a bit, his exhaustion showing. “What do I tell them when I go back?”

Painless hums, considering the question. He would _like_ to recommend the truth… but he understands Obi-Wan’s need for a cover story at the moment. “I told Skywalker I had to quarantine you because I suspected a parasite. Just tell them I was right, you had a stomach parasite and we removed it, and you have medication as well as _very_ strict instructions to watch what you eat and drink for the next few weeks.”

The cover story he’s given is deemed satisfactory by Obi-Wan, apparently. The Jedi nods, looking relieved to have some sort of plan going forward. He rests back against the wall, letting his eyes fall shut momentarily. “… if you don’t mind, I… think I’ll take advantage of your time to have a nap.”

Painless can’t help a little smile at that. Kenobi definitely looks like he could use one. “Don’t mind at all. I would have prescribed one if I thought you wouldn’t have taken it as a challenge, sir.”

Kenobi knows he’s right, so… he doesn’t try to argue the point. He just sighs a bit, then moves to lay down on the cot, both physically and emotionally exhausted enough to just want to pass out. “Make sure I don’t sleep more than two hours, please?” He requests, already feeling drowsy just from going horizontal.

“Yes sir,” Painless says, deeming that a reasonable enough time frame for a nap. He grabs a blanket, tossing it over the Jedi’s form as he drifts off to some much-needed sleep, then sets an alarm to remind himself.

He’s got some research and training (and paperwork) to do in the meantime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this so far! <3 <3 <3


	4. Growing Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All the lovely comments on the last chapter got me motivated to edit and post this one early for y'all <3 Thank you so much!!!
> 
> Get ready for more clone family fluff <3

When Obi-Wan finally returns to the bridge almost three hours after Anakin left him in the med bay, the two clone leaders and the Jedi General are more than a little on edge. None of them talks about it, but they're all worried for him.

Anakin nearly runs up and grabs him the second the doors hiss open to let Obi-Wan through. As it is, he gets about halfway to his friend before remembering himself and stopping. The relief on his face is clear. “Thank the Force you’re okay. What was it?”

Obi-Wan looks much better than he did when Anakin left him. He’s definitely taken a trip to the ‘fresher and showered, he looks a bit better rested, and there’s more color in his face. His nervous attitude hasn’t changed much, however. If anything, he looks even more overwhelmed by Anakin’s enthusiasm for his presence.

“Er, I had a stomach parasite…” He admits, sounding embarrassed. “Painless removed it, I am fine now. But, I am to very carefully watch what I eat and drink for the next few weeks. If anyone else has been feeling nauseous, they should probably go see him too,” Obi-Wan explains, running a hand awkwardly through his short, damp hair.

The younger Jedi looks relieved. “Well, at least you caught it before it did any lasting damage.”

Cody, however, isn’t so easily fooled. He’s made it his job to know Obi-Wan better than he knows his own face. Even if he couldn’t tell that the story was definitely rehearsed, he knows none of his other men have been having nausea like the General has… and he knows they haven’t eaten anything in the past week that didn’t come from the rations lockup.

He’s not about to call his General’s banthashit out in front of their men, however, so he just narrows his eyes a bit and resolves to corner him about it later.

Obi-Wan doesn’t miss the look, and as soon as Anakin turns his back, he signals to Cody with a circular motion of his hand, their code for ‘group up’. So, he plans to tell him the truth later… that’s a relief.

Rex saw it too, however, and trades a confused look with Cody. The clone commander knows that if he hadn’t wanted Rex to see, Obi-Wan wouldn’t have let him, so he correctly takes that to mean he plans to tell Rex as well. Which means he just doesn’t want General Skywalker to know…

Can’t be anything good, then.

To quell Rex’s confusion before he can say something out loud, Cody quickly taps the edge of his helmet he’s holding under his arm twice, his code to Rex for ‘follow me.’

The slightly younger clone gives a nearly imperceptible nod, then focuses back on Anakin as if nothing had happened.

Obi-Wan visibly relaxes as that’s handled, then quickly regains his composure as Anakin reaches the holotable and turns back to face him, completely oblivious to the silent conversation that just occurred under his nose.

After his nap and shower, Obi-Wan is a lot less woozy and able to focus better on the maps and plans. He does a good job engaging, very convincingly reassuring Anakin that he’s feeling better already, and there’s nothing more to worry about. Anakin falls for his act completely, even making a comment on how much better Obi-Wan looks, and how it wasn’t so hard for him to just go to the med bay, was it?

Obi-Wan gives an exasperated agreement, easily brushing Anakin’s smug attitude off as is typical of him.

They fall into their usual back and forth, Obi-Wan making an effort to not pull back so much whenever Anakin casually touches him. He doesn’t want to give the other Jedi a reason to corner him again.

Eventually, his stomach reminds him that he hasn’t eaten anything yet today. He gives an embarrassed chuckle. “Oh, I completely forgot to eat something this morning… I suppose that means it’s time for midmeal.”

Cody, who was preparing for some resistance from his General about going to eat something, shuts his mouth. It’s never that easy to get Obi-Wan to take care of his basic needs. What is he up to?

“Sounds good,” Anakin nods, looking as relieved as Cody feels that Obi-Wan isn’t putting up a fight about it.

Before the other General can say anything however, Obi-Wan speaks again, throwing Anakin a charming and rather sharp-edged smile as he speaks. “Anakin, you don’t mind staying behind to draft up and send what we have discussed over to _The Resolute_ while we go on ahead to the mess, do you?”

And ah, there it is. Anakin sighs, knowing he probably deserves this for cornering Obi-Wan earlier. “Course not. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Lovely.” The other Jedi says, giving him a quiet smile as he turns towards the doors and gestures for Cody and Rex to follow him. “Don’t take too long, Anakin. We will not wait for you forever.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The younger Jedi rolls his eyes, getting to work. “Just make sure you save me a dessert.”

Cody and Rex exchange a look with one another, both knowing that _something_ is up. They follow Kenobi, the two men brimming with curiosity.

As Obi-Wan crosses the bridge, he calls out to two more clones. “Waxer, Boil, would you like to join us for lunch?”

The two younger clones stationed as guards look a bit surprised to be called on, but both of them nod eagerly, getting up from their stations. They had wondered why Kenobi reassigned them to the bridge earlier… this must be why.

Rex and Cody share another frown.

And, Cody has officially had enough of this. As soon as they’re past the doors and they’ve hissed shut behind Waxer and Boil, Cody marches right up and grabs the General’s shoulder, pointing a finger at him. “Alright, Kenobi. What the kark are you up to? You’ve been acting shadier than the underside of the zillo beast ever since you got back from Painless.”

His Commander’s words get a tired little smile from the General, who looks otherwise unfazed by his anger. He looks more… exhausted, and a little sad, than anything else. “Let us get a bit further down the hall, please, Cody. There is something I would like to tell you four, in confidence.” He looks pointedly at Rex. “Meaning, Anakin _must_ not know.”

“ _Why?_ ” Rex asks, baffled.

“If he knew, he’d have me pulled out of the War,” Obi-Wan states, a small sigh leaving him. “And we can’t afford that, not when we’re so stretched thin already.” The thought had occurred to him while he showered, and just solidified his resolve to not tell Anakin.

Now that they’re away from Skywalker and Kenobi has dropped his act, Cody can see the quiet sadness in his eyes. His anger fades, and instead he starts to worry. What could make his General so sad that would also make Skywalker pull him out of the War…?

The possible answers aren’t good.

“You want me to keep a secret from General Skywalker, sir?” Rex asks, jaw set.

Obi-Wan looks the Captain over mildly. “Under other circumstances, I would never ask you to do so… but this is something I can't keep to myself alone and I know it’s pointless to tell Cody something and expect you not to find out, so I would rather impress upon you the importance that Anakin does not find out myself.”

Waxer and Boil have been quiet up to this point, but they’ve clearly reached the same morbid conclusion that Cody has.

“Sir?” Boil starts, removing his helmet and keeping by Kenobi’s side. “It wasn’t a stomach parasite that Painless found, was it?”

Before the Jedi can respond, Waxer continues, his question asked in a terrified, small voice. “General… are you dying?”

At that question, Kenobi’s eyes widen, and he quickly shakes his head. “Oh- no, no. Wherever did you get that idea?” It seems to shake him out of his sadness, and he gives a nervous little laugh as they reach the elevators and he presses the call button for their little group. “I’m not dying, there’s no need to worry about that.”

Cody is relieved. He’d been worrying the same thing, from the context Kenobi gave them. And this time, he can tell the Jedi isn’t lying to them.

“Then what is it?” Rex asks, arms crossed once he gets into the elevator.

Kenobi focuses on him again, clearly not trusting him quite as much as he trusts the others. “I need your word that you won’t tell Anakin, Rex. If he finds out, it could be… disastrous. Not only for me and my men, but for him, as well. I will tell him, eventually, but for now it needs to remain confidential.”

“Why tell _us_ then, sir?” Boil asks, brows pulled together.

The question gives Obi-Wan pause. The elevator doors close as they all squeeze in, and he gives himself a nervous, one armed hug, gripping his other arm. “… as… much as I am reluctant to ask for help… In this case, I am going to need support from those I trust explicitly. I… cannot take on this challenge alone, and for now, I would just like to keep it between you four… but I do intend to eventually inform the rest of Ghost Company.” He hesitates, rubbing his arm again. “And, perhaps, padawan Tano.”

Rex frowns at him as the elevator heads down to the mess level. “Right… so you want to tell Commander Tano, but not General Skywalker.”

“Ahsoka cannot have me removed from active duty,” Kenobi responds, waving his hand a bit. “And though I can’t speak to her ability for subterfuge… It would be good for her to know, considering that if I am not with Cody, Anakin, the Ghost Company, or another Council member I’m probably with her.” She’s usually with Anakin as well, so she could be very helpful in keeping his secret undiscovered. Assuming she can be trusted to keep it.

“You’re going to tell the Council?” Rex asks, frowning.

Once more, Kenobi sighs. “I won’t be telling them out of a desire to so much as a requirement to. Painless has already sent them the updated medical file. A meeting has already been scheduled this evening to discuss it.”

“And what makes you think they’ll keep you on active duty when they find out?” Cody asks, having a new suspicion as to what it is now. He’s the only one who _could_ make a guess, considering he occasionally handles Kenobi’s medical papers.

The General doesn’t miss the hint of understanding in Cody’s eyes, and is vaguely proud of his Commander for catching on so quickly. “They can’t afford not to. We are low on men and low on Jedi, and the War is drawing to an end. Now more than ever, they need all their strength for as long as they can keep it, so seeing as I am one of their most successful Generals, they will keep me on duty until I am unable to serve. Anakin, however, would surely make a plea to the Chancellor and have me removed, and I cannot have him doing that.”

Again, Rex frowns, but seems to be less against the idea. He knows that the war effort can’t afford to lose more men. Especially Generals as strategically clever and caring of their men as Kenobi.

“… Alright then.” The Captain starts, still not looking particularly happy about it. “As long as you promise to tell General Skywalker the moment that you’re unfit to serve, I suppose I can keep from telling him before then.”

Waxer and Boil have remained quiet, watching the conversation with identically confused but attentive expressions.

At the promise to keep it secret from Rex, Kenobi relaxes a bit, then smiles. “Well, by that point it _would_ be rather difficult for him not to notice.” His tone is teasing, then warm. There’s a brief hesitation as he prepares to tell them, and then he speaks, sounding rather happy, for once. “I am… with child.” Seeing Waxer and Boil and Rex’s continued confusion, he elaborates. “Pregnant. Men of my species can conceive under certain circumstances.”

“How?” Cody asks, and Obi-Wan knows that his Commander has seen enough medical reports to not be asking for biological specifics, rather, he’s asking for the means of conception. “You have the birth control implant. I know you do; I sign off for it every time you have it replaced, sir.” He has to be made aware of the risk regarding droid poppers being used around the fragile technology.

With his secret told, Kenobi looks like there’s been a weight lifted from his shoulders. He seems a bit more relaxed than before as he explains, the other three clones temporarily stunned into silence. “The Jimyali system. The moon we crashed on? The pollen I breathed in increased fertility, negated my birth control… and, apparently, stayed in my system long enough to combat the plan b pill, too.”

Cody gives a low whistle. He lets Rex come to the next conclusion on his own.

“So, it’s Skywalker’s,” the Captain states, looking conflicted. “I… don’t like the idea of hiding that from him. But you’re right. He’d have you off duty and would probably leave with you. We can’t afford that now.”

As they finally register the news and process what it means, Waxer gives Boil’s arm an excited punch. “Boil! We’re gonna be big brothers!”

Kenobi is distracted from Rex’s point by the outburst, looking visibly happier at their conclusion. He had hoped they would see it this way, the clones are as much his family as the Order is.

Boil smiles back at Waxer’s enthusiasm, a bit more reserved, but equally happy. “You hopin’ it’s a boy or a girl, Waxer?”

“A girl,” the bald clone answer immediately. “A sweet little girl who never has to see the war... shit,” He looks over at the rest of the group earnestly, “You know we have to win this thing soon, now. Kenobi’s kid should be born to peace.”

That sentiment really warms Obi-Wan’s heart, and he watches his men with a soft expression as the elevator stops and they finally leave it. “I certainly hope we can manage that…” He says, looking Waxer and Boil over fondly. “And I believe you are right, Waxer… I… had a few dreams, I think now that they might have been premonitions from the Force. I am very certain she’s a girl.” As he remembers the visions, the corners of his eyes crinkle with smile lines.

Waxer has stars in his eyes. He’s gonna have a little sister. Boil seems equally entranced.

Cody, for his part, has gravitated a bit closer to Kenobi, feeling a renewed surge of protectiveness for the often reckless and self-endangering man. “Kenobi, Sir.” He starts, drawing the Jedi’s attention to him. “As soon as we’re done in the mess, you’re giving me whatever regimen Painless prescribed. I’ll make sure you stay on it.”

The Jedi seems unsurprised, and for once doesn’t offer him an argument. “Of course. That’s partly why I wanted to tell you four… I’m going to need your help staying healthy for her. I am…” he wavers a little as if searching for a more flattering word, “… forgetful. And stubborn. Often, I am blind to my own welfare. If Anakin hadn’t dragged me down to the med bay, I wouldn’t even know about this.”

Those in the Ghost company give chuckles of agreement, knowing from many extended missions how true those statements are. If having a kid means Kenobi is finally going to stop being a pain in the arse about taking care of himself, the three of them are more than happy for it.

Even Rex knows the truth of it and smiles mildly from where he’s walking a few steps behind the group.

That’s when Kenobi decides to return to Rex’s conclusion, falling back a few steps while Waxer and Boil begin a back-and-forth on who’s gonna teach their new little sister what. He lowers his voice to speak to the Captain. “… you are right that she’s Anakin’s…” He starts, looking sad again. “She couldn’t be anyone else’s. There hasn’t been anyone else.” He doesn’t seem to be conscious of the hand that briefly rests over his womb before falling back to his side. “I know it’s hard for you to keep something so important from him… but please, it really is for the best that he doesn’t know. I… am not sure I ever want him to know that he’s the father.”

At that confession, Rex reels back, staring at the General like he’s crazy. “Why not? Doesn’t he have a right to know?”

Kenobi is chewing his lip, looking unsure of himself as he answers. “He…” the Jedi shakes his head. “It would only complicate things. You’re about as bad at hiding it as he is, so you shouldn’t be surprised that I know you’re helping him conceal his relationship with Senator Amidala.”

The Captain looks embarrassed to have been caught. “How do you know?”

The bearded man gives him a coy smile. “I’ve known Anakin since he was nine years old, Rex. He can’t keep all his secrets from me. Anyways, inspecting the barracks is a shoddy cover for calling his girlfriend.” He used that trick himself to call Satine a few times, Anakin isn’t the first to think of it.

Rex agrees, but he does note that Obi-Wan didn’t call Padme Anakin’s wife. So, maybe he doesn’t know _everything_. “I take it from your nonchalance that you don’t take issue with their relationship?”

“I wish he had told me, but…” Obi-Wan shakes his head. “I think she’s good for him. I don’t want to get in the way of that. I will always love him like a brother… but for Anakin and I, that is all it can be, and all it will be. He will be better off thinking I got unlucky on some undercover mission than if he knows the child is his.”

“I think you’re wrong, sir.” Rex states boldly, then lowers his voice a little before continuing. “If I may speak frankly, you’re wrong. About him being better off. He’d be thrilled to be a father, and even though you’re right, he does love Senator Amidala dearly, my General has a very big heart, and if he has a place in it- in his family- for me and all my brothers, he definitely has a place in it for you and your daughter.”

Obi-Wan cannot meet the Captain’s eyes, sadness creeping back into his expression. “Rex… I know you mean well, but please don’t push this. If there is one thing I’m certain of regarding Anakin, it is that he sees me only as his friend and mentor. He will make a wonderful uncle to my daughter, and that is all.”

“What are you going to do when he finds out, Kenobi?” Rex asks, not quite backing off. “As soon as he knows the timeframe, he’ll know exactly who the father is, he isn’t stupid. What are you going to do? Lie to his face?”

It takes a lot for Kenobi not to flinch at his tone. Rex is remarkably similar to his General when he’s upset. “… I will deal with that if and when it happens.”

Rex gives a slightly frustrated noise, but drops the subject, able to tell that he’s not going to convince the Jedi of anything this way. They’ve reached the mess, anyways, and they’ll need to cut the conversation now that there are so many ears around to overhear.

Kenobi relaxes as the group enters the cafeteria, finding safer topics to speak of as they collect their food.

Waxer and Boil start sharing stories from the battlefield with their General and the captivated shinies around them. Cody stays very close to his Jedi’s side, a silent protector as he eats and listens, occasionally sneaking some of his food onto Kenobi’s plate so his General will eat more.

Rex had forgotten about the request until he saw two desserts on Kenobi’s tray. Despite all the conversation and big news he’d had to share with his little family, the General hadn’t forgotten to save a dessert for Skywalker.

The General himself joins them later, and he has to swallow down the urge to tell him everything as soon as he sees the way Skywalker lights up to see his friend had saved him a cookie, and then his smile becomes doubly bright as Kenobi claims the smell doesn’t agree with him and hands his own treat off to the younger Jedi.

As Rex quietly observes, paying more attention than he usually does, only occasionally adding to the conversation… He reaches a realization.

Kenobi loves Skywalker.

That sadness has made it back into the older man’s eyes, even as he practically glows in his friend’s presence. Though he acts as he always has, Rex can see that every touch and every smile Skywalker gives him causes the underlying pain in Kenobi’s eyes to grow.

Kenobi _loves_ Skywalker. And not just as a brother.

He resolves then to keep the secret, for as long as Kenobi needs him to. The man is in love with someone who’s in love with someone else… he sees that now, and he can only imagine the heartbreak it would cause the kind, older Jedi to have to raise a child with a man who will only ever call him brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a little carried away while writing last night, and added a few more scenes than I originally planned to, so I decided to up the chapter count a bit. Hopefully 8 is a good estimation, and I won't have to alter it again <3
> 
> Thank you so much for all the lovely comments last time! I always love hearing what you think!!


	5. Tensions Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All these comments have me just so motivated <3 <3 here's another chapter! We'll get to see a bit of Anakin's side of things now :)

“I have something to discuss with Cody,” Obi-Wan tells Anakin, giving his former padawan yet another excuse to separate. “I’ll meet you on the bridge,” he adds when he sees the displeasure on Skywalker’s face.

And, Anakin can’t come up with a reason to argue, so he just lets out a little breath and nods. “Yeah, alright. See you.”

The older Jedi flashes him a quick smile, and then he and Cody are leaving, the commander walking a bit closer than is usual for them. Anakin knows _something_ is up… but he can’t put a finger on what that might possibly be.

Maybe Rex knows. He’s been noticeably pensive this whole time. Even Waxer and Boil have been acting a bit off, seeming a lot more enthusiastic about… everything. It disturbs him to think that maybe Obi-Wan told the four clones something that he hasn’t bothered to tell him.

“Rex,” He starts, dumping the contents of his tray in the incinerator alongside his Captain. “Something is up. Do you know what it is?”

The Captain startles, looking over at Anakin in surprise. “… er, what makes you think something is ‘up’, sir?”

Oh, he’s definitely in on it.

Anakin’s eyes narrow on his Captain. “Obi-Wan is _avoiding_ me and I think you know why.”

There’s a moment where Rex nearly wavers, seeing how upset his General looks by the idea that his best friend is hiding things from him.

Then Anakin continues, looking _angry_. “He’s _hiding_ something from me. _Again_. I thought we were over this, but there he goes again, treating me like a _kid_.” The Jedi has an ugly look on his face as he paces out of the mess with Rex on his heels. “I swear, I wanna strangle him sometimes.”

Rex remains quiet, frowning to himself as General Skywalker goes off. When the Jedi rounds on him expectantly, arms crossed, Rex knows with certainty once again that he’s going to keep Kenobi’s secret from him.

“Tell me what his deal is, Rex. He won’t talk to me, hell, I can’t even get a minute alone with him anymore. He’s being _stupid_ and I’m sick of it.”

The clone Captain lets his General rant, tight-lipped as he watches him. Well, there’s no point pretending there _isn’t_ a secret… but he’s not telling Skywalker.

“… With all due respect, sir,” his tone is a bit colder than he really means for it to be. “You have asked me to keep many secrets from General Kenobi. I have kept all of them without complaint. I am going to do the same for him, the one and _only_ time he has asked me to.” Rex gives his General a respectful nod, continuing past him towards the bridge. “If you decide to trust him with yours, perhaps he will tell you his himself.”

Anakin… did not expect that. Rex is _always_ on his side, so this… it feels a bit like a slap in the face. _How did Obi-Wan manage to turn his own best man against him?_

He is so stunned that he stops, watching Rex continue on for a moment before hurrying to follow him. What the kriff is Obi-Wan hiding that even _Rex_ won’t tell him about it? It’s gotta be important…

The Jedi is about to interrogate Rex further but stops himself, deciding to consider the situation before he speaks again. He’s not gonna get anywhere by alienating Rex, too… There has to be a reason why his old Master won’t tell him, whatever it is, right?

And if his Captain agrees that it’s not something for him to know… maybe they’re protecting him from something? It’s not like Rex would ever keep anything from him that he really needs to know, right? He trusts his Captain with everything, he knows that he wouldn’t keep things from him if he didn’t have a good reason.

That has to be it… right?

Rex is _always_ on his side…

The Jedi takes a deep breath, catching up to his friend’s side with a small frown. “… okay,” He says, doing his best to sound calm. He can’t be angry about this, or he’ll get nowhere. “… and say I do come clean about everything to Obi-Wan, and he still doesn’t tell me himself. Will you tell me then?”

The clone looks over at him warily. “General,” he states a bit testily, “I will say this once. Do not ask me to confide secrets which are not mine to tell.” He hits the elevator button, crossing his arms as he waits for it. “You should focus on the mission we’re assigned right now. If you can’t while Kenobi is here, I can request a partner reassignment for you.”

Anakin hears the creak as his mechno-hand clenches a bit too tightly.

Calm, Anakin. “There’s no need for that,” he responds stiffly, turning away from the elevator. “I’m going to call Padme. If I’m not there before the others, just tell them I spilled something and had to change clothes.”

“Will do, sir.” The Captain goes into the elevator, leaving Anakin to stalk down the hall to find an empty meeting room.

. . .

“Ani…” Padme sighs, looking her husband over with an exasperated fondness. “You’re probably just working yourself up over nothing. Obi-Wan is a very private man, you know that. He’s probably just overwhelmed because you two shared something very intimate without much warning or build up, and he needs time to adjust.”

Padme always knows what to say. She’s right. Of course she is, she’s always right. “I just don’t know what to do… I want things to go back to normal, but how am I supposed to show him that this don’t have to be weird if he’s always avoiding me?”

The Senator of Naboo gives another quiet smile. “He’ll get there, Anakin. He might just take a little longer than you. He’s stubborn, there’s no rushing him, okay? Just be patient.”

“Ugh, now you sound like Obi-Wan.” The Jedi states, rolling his eyes. “I’m coming home after this mission. Do you think you can get an evening free? We can stay in and watch that new movie, The Pirates of the Outer Rim. I heard it’s good.”

“I think I can squeeze that in,” Padme responds teasingly.

He smiles warmly at her, once more feeling his love for her calm his heart and mind. She is… everything he has ever needed and more. He doesn’t deserve her. “Thank you for answering, I know you’re busy, but I really needed you.”

“Of course, Ani,” She responds with an equally warm tone. “I’ll always be here for you.”

“What would I do without you,” he asks, sighing as he drinks in her appearance. She’s not wearing much makeup today, letting her natural beauty show.

“Go crazy with worry, apparently,” she laughs, looking equally enamored with him. “In all seriousness though, Anakin… you might want to consider what Rex said. You can’t expect Obi-Wan to be totally honest with you if you aren’t honest with him,” Padme points out reasonably. “I think he suspects us anyways, so you might as well tell him. It’s been over two years since we married and he hasn’t turned you over to the Order.”

That point makes him turn his face away, not overly thrilled with the idea. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he suspects but…” Anakin sighs, pulling a hand down his face. “Look, as long as it’s only his suspicion, he doesn’t have an obligation to tell the Council. He doesn’t have to report me on hearsay. If I tell him… then I am making him choose between me and the code, and I don’t wanna do that to him.”

The Senator’s gaze softens at his explanation. “That’s understandable, but, Anakin… what are you really worried about? That you’ll make him have to choose… or are you afraid he won’t choose you?”

She does have a certain way of cutting right to the heart of the issue. “He’s chosen the Council over me before.”

“To protect _your_ friend, Chancellor Palpatine,” she reminds him gently. “I’m sure he wouldn’t have agreed to that if it were any less vital to his safety.” She pauses, letting him ponder the point for a second longer. “And would it really be so terrible if he told the Council? They won’t reject you from the Order you so long as this war goes on. Jedi are too spread thin, and you are a very skilled General.”

She has a point; he grudgingly admits to himself. And when the war is over… he doesn’t respect the code or the Council enough to stay. He wants to leave with Padme as soon as the Republic and his men no longer need him.

“I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I ask,” his wife says gently. She fixes him with a patient smile. “I have to get back now… but it was good to see you, Ani. Stay safe, come back to me in one piece.”

“When have I ever not?” he asks with a confident grin, then laughs as she pointedly eyes his arm. “Alright, point taken. I’ll be careful. See you in a week, my love.”

“ _If_ I can squeeze you in, I _am_ a very busy woman,” she teases back with a wink. “I’ll be waiting, Ani.”

He smiles, watching as she turns off the call. A talk with her was exactly what he needed.

. . .

Even with the detour, Anakin beat Obi-Wan back to the bridge. Not by much, which was lucky. His patience regarding the other man is wearing thin.

Cody is with him still, standing much closer to his General than he normally does. The Commander looks like he’s on high alert for… something. Weird. It sets Anakin’s own battle instincts on edge, despite there being no immediate danger around.

What is going on with Obi-Wan?

Anakin keeps his questions and hands to himself for the time being, just keeping his arms crossed while they go over maps and tactics.

It isn’t long before they’re ready to finalize their plans and send orders to begin their offensive to the rest of the fleet.

It catches Anakin by surprise when Obi-Wan comes over to him near the end and puts a gentle hand on his forearm to get his attention. “Anakin, I have a mandatory call scheduled with the Council, you will need to lead the attack without me for now.”

His heart sinks as the other General comes over and initiates contact with him only to give him yet another excuse to leave. Will he never get a moment alone with him? “Alright, Master. Don’t let them keep you too long, I need you here.”

“Oh, believe me Anakin, I would much rather be here than in another dull Council meeting.” And that much is definitely true, if the vehement distaste in Obi-Wan’s tone is any indication. Anakin wonders what the meeting could possibly be about. It’s not his business though, so he doesn’t ask.

Instead he gives a little smile, and pats Obi-Wan’s shoulder in a reassuring manner. “I’ll be sure to save some Seppies for you to shoot down when you get back.” He pauses, deciding how to phrase his words best so as not to scare his friend off again. “When the battle is over, can I talk to you alone? There’s… some stuff I need to tell you about. I’m tired of us keeping so many secrets from each other.”

At the initial question, his friend briefly tenses, but then as Anakin continues, a quietly hopeful look fills his eyes. He’s silent for a second, unsure of himself, and then he nods. “I’ll find you after, and we can talk.”

The smile Anakin gives in response is nearly blinding. Given Obi-Wan’s reaction, he’s almost certain the older man already knows, and has been waiting for Anakin to tell him himself. How did he not see it before?

He lets the older Jedi go, then gets to work, determined to make sure their plan goes as smoothly as possible so this will be over quickly.

. . .

“News from your Medic have we received,” Yoda greets Obi-Wan as he joins the group holocall. He’s the last one, as he knew he would be. “Late, you are.”

“I _am_ about to start an attack here,” Kenobi responds in a tired tone. “I came when I could.”

Mace is staring directly at him, with an intensity that makes Obi-Wan glad that he isn’t attending in person.

The old troll gives a hum that indicates he isn’t quite mollified by the excuse. He doesn’t comment further on it however, as it was only a few minutes delay. “Explain the situation to us, you now will.”

“You already know what happened,” The youngest of the Jedi Masters states, running a tired hand through his hair. “I gave you my report after the incident on the Jimyali moon.”

“Contraceptives, you reported you used. Assured us you were careful, you did.” Yoda states, doing his best not to sound accusatory.

Obi-Wan already wants to leave. He thinks he might hate the Council, sometimes. “And I told you the truth. My birth control implant is intact and functioning, and Painless can verify that I took a Plan B pill after the event. However, it appears that even that wasn’t enough, as the pollen overrode the contraceptives and increased my fertility. Nothing is 100% effective, Masters.”

The rest of the Council keeps their thoughts to themselves, letting Yoda interrogate their youngest member. Windu’s eyes continue to bore into him, and Obi-Wan has to fight to maintain his calm, relaxed façade.

There is a pause as Yoda ponders the information. He knows that Obi-Wan is not foolish enough to lie about verifiable things such as that. “… thinks that you wanted the child of Skywalker, Master Windu does.”

Kenobi feels a flash of anger run through him, and he very quickly quells it, maintaining a cool, disaffected air as he gives Mace a disdainful look. “That is preposterous. This has all been very well out of my control. Do you think I orchestrated having Anakin’s Starfighter and mine shot down over the wrong moon, too, Windu?”

The Korun stands, looking down at the other Jedi Master accusingly. “Why does the medical report state that you rejected your right to an abortion, then, Kenobi? You can’t blame that on _pollen._ ”

He nearly stands as well, but Obi-Wan has the wherewithal to know that with his dedication to the Code so in question at the moment, he really cannot afford to show any volatile emotions. He will certainly need to meditate once this meeting is over.

When he responds, he only has ice in his tone. “Have I missed something in the Jedi Code where it states that it is alright to snuff out innocent life just because it was created unintentionally?” He takes his gaze off of Mace to look around at the other council members. “We may be peacekeepers at war,” he starts in a disgusted tone, “but I draw the line at murdering innocents. I did not think that would so offend my fellow Council Members. If you intend to vote me out for that decision, I will gladly leave.”

His point hangs in the air, and several of the Masters who previously looked impassive now turn down their eyes in shame.

Yoda, however, sees through him as he always does. “Agree on the sanctity of life with you, I do, Kenobi…” The diminutive Master starts, ears twitching, “but concerned, I am. Struggle with attachment you do, to your Master Jinn, to the Duchess Satine, to Cerasi, to your former Padawan. Not able will you be to let go of your child when the time comes, I think.”

The eldest Master is correct, and Obi-Wan knows it. He swallows, not quite able to look his Great-Grand Master directly in the eye. “I will not pretend what you have said is false, Master Yoda. I have struggled with attachment, yes, but I have also accepted each loss I have suffered, without fail.” He felt the call of the Dark Side when he avenged his Master… Since, he has acutely known the danger of fearing loss, and not allowed himself to be tempted again. Not even as Satine died in his arms. “Furthermore… I have had premonitions about this child. She is already Force-Sensitive, and incredibly strong like her father. When the time comes, I will be happy to give her over to the creche.”

“And if we decide she won’t be trained?” Mace asks, his arms crossed. “What then, Kenobi?”

He is certain that won’t be the case… but he entertains the idea for Windu’s sake. “Then she won’t be trained. But that will be due to her own choices in life, not because I never gave her a chance to live.”

Master Plo finally interjects, his deep, modulated baritone putting a balm on Obi-Wan’s frayed nerves as he changes the subject. “It is unusual to know the child’s gender so early, Master Kenobi.”

“I know,” the younger Master responds, leaning back a little and feeling some of his defensiveness melt away. “Like I said, I’ve had premonitions. Dreams, of a little girl reaching out to me. At first, I thought she needed my help, but with our discovery this morning… I am certain that she is my daughter. She must be incredibly strong with the Force if she can affect my dreams at this stage.” He tries to keep his voice detached, as if he’s making a simple observation rather than bragging. “The fact only solidifies my point that she is _alive_ , Masters, and aborting her at this point would be akin to the murder of a youngling. Surely, you won’t ask for or condone that.”

A murmur of agreement comes from most of the room, and even Mace finally sits back down, having a difficult time arguing with that statement.

Yoda lifts a clawed hand, and silence falls again. “Another concern I have. A note about your distress, your Medic made. A… panic attack, did you have?”

Damnit, Painless. Obi-Wan grimaces, his brief embarrassment showing. “I was… shocked. Surprised, as I’m sure all of you also were by the news. I never intended to bring a child into the world during this war, and I was unprepared for the news.” He pauses, frowning down at his hands. “I have since meditated and come to peace with the situation.” Well, he napped, and had a good talk with Painless and his closest men, which is nearly as good.

The elder Jedi gives a small huff of acceptance. “Return to Coruscant after your mission and meditate with me you will, to verify this.”

Oh, brilliant. A psych eval from Master Yoda. Fun. “Yes, Master.” He inclines his head mildly. “And _then_ you’ll vote me out of the Council?” He asks, in a lighter tone that indicates he already suspects that they won’t.

His Great Grand Master fixes him with a mildly exasperated look. “So eager to leave, are you?”

“It _would_ be another record under my belt, Master. Shortest term on the Council,” He responds with an easy confidence.

“Cut the shit, Kenobi,” Mace butts in impatiently. It just makes the younger Master smile, and causes the bubble of tension to pop, a few masters releasing pent-up rumbles of laughter.

Yoda seems relieved as well for this interrogation to have reached a positive end. “Not expel you will we, for things out of your control. Handled it well, you have. Only wish to assist you in this unexpected situation, I do.” He gives a hum. “Thought I that you would bring Skywalker to this meeting. How well he has reacted, I wonder. Attachment, also he struggles with.”

It must be telling that Kenobi’s eyes go back to his hands at Master Yoda’s musings, because Master Ki-Adi Mundi picks up on it. “Kenobi, why _isn’t_ Skywalker here?”

“… He wasn’t requested,” Obi-Wan responds evasively. Really, why does everyone expect that he has to tell Anakin right away?

Shaak Ti sees right through him, however. Like many of the clones she helps raise, she can easily read people. “You have not told him.”

“No,” Obi-Wan sighs, pulling a hand down his face and feeling all 37 years of his age. “I am… not confident that he is ready to handle this news.”

Yoda’s disapproval is clear. “Not sure were you, that ready for his trials he was. Pass them he did. More confidence in the man you raised, you should have.”

“You can’t keep sheltering the boy from everything, Kenobi.” Mace adds brusquely.

Once again, Mace manages to get right on Obi-Wan’s nerves. He doesn’t normally butt heads with the other Master so much, but right now he very much wants to show him why Soresu is superior to his beloved Vaapad.

He takes a calming breath. “I don’t think the battlefield is the best place to tell him. He will lose his focus on the mission if he knows my condition, he is very protective of children.” He pauses, forcing his eyes to meet the other Masters’. “I have not told him in part because I worry that he will have me removed from the war effort altogether. He has tremendous pull with the Chancellor, and--”

Yoda interrupts then, frowning. “Think you that _we_ would allow you to remain a General, hm? Not understand me before did you, when said I that come back to Coruscant will you after your mission. Stay here you will, in the Temple.”

“You _cannot_ be serious, Master Yoda.” Obi-Wan protests, straightening up. “I am not unable to do my job, and we lose more Generals and clones each and every day. My men are some of the best, and after the incident with Pong Krell they trust very few Jedi other than myself. We are already spread too thin; it is ridiculous and senseless to pull me from the war before I am unable to fight.”

Yoda knows he makes a good point, but he doesn’t look very moved. “Have it both ways, you cannot. Want to give your child a chance at life, you do, but risk her in battle you also would. Confidence in your clone troopers you have, but not your Padawan.”

“Master Yoda, you do not need me to remind you what a skilled combatant and General I am,” Kenobi states, his arms crossing over his chest stubbornly. “She will be safe, that is not in question. Assign me less dangerous missions if you must, but do not make this war lose another General so prematurely.” He thinks if he had to take over the creche or some other ‘safe’ job, he would go stir crazy within the month. “As for my men, they have been some of the best soldiers in the army since long before they came under my command. My confidence in them is different from that regarding Anakin. They are also, I might add, _not_ the father of this child, and not prone to doing drastic things in the name of caution.”

“And what if you take a bad fall on a mission?” Windu probes, seeming more curious than accusatory now that he knows Obi-Wan intends to stay in the war. “If you crash your ship, and lose your child in the process?”

Obi-Wan’s entire self rebels at the mere thought of it. He can’t bear to lose this child.

It has to be considered, however… it is a very real possibility. “… then she will be lost, and it will be my fault and mine alone. But other lives will have been saved that otherwise wouldn’t have been if I left, so I will have to accept that loss, and my own guilt for it, and continue to perform my duties as a Jedi.”

Windu and Yoda share a long look with one another.

A silent decision seems to be made between them. Yoda focuses on Obi-Wan again, ears quivering with reluctance. “Come to Coruscant you will and meditate with you I must. Decide then, what to do with you, I will. In the meantime, tell Skywalker of his child you must, and discuss what we spoke of here with him, you will.”

Kark.

He _can’t_ tell Anakin about this. But he also can’t disobey a direct order… Kenobi looks down, a tired sigh leaving him. “… I will, Master Yoda.”

Just… not now.

“In a few days I will see you, Master Kenobi. Until then, be careful you will.” The Master insists, eyes boring into his great-grand padawan.

Obi-Wan looks up at him with a wan smile. “Aren’t I always?”

“Reckless you have always been, young Kenobi.” The older Jedi chastises. “Served you well as a Jedi and a General it has. As a parent, it will not.”

The old troll has a point. He nods, looking down again. “I promise to be careful. I will see you soon, Master.”

Yoda nods, satisfied, and dismisses the meeting.

When the holocall ends and Obi-Wan is left alone in the room, he lets out a long, exhausted sigh. He could use another nap right now, after that stress.

No time for a nap. He has a battle to win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really appreciate all the amazing comments so far! thank you so much to everyone who has, and please keep it up, I love hearing your thoughts and predictions <3 <3 <3


	6. Communication is Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay this one is a little short, but the next one is gonna be a long, emotional ride. Enjoy!

It was a hard win, but for once they didn’t lose very many men in the fight. When the Separatist command ship is finally taken, Anakin and Obi-Wan boarding it and taking the general into custody… it’s a relief.

It’s been three days of constant fighting, both in space and on the ground. They took the ground base the day before, and now that they’ve captured the General here, the Separatists will finally surrender to them.

The older of the two Jedi turns off his lightsaber, letting Anakin keep the Techno-Union General at swordpoint. He smiles smarmily up at the man, clipping his saber back to his belt. “Call back your forces, General, and we will discuss the terms of your surrender.”

He is reluctant… but he knows he has lost, so he does so, and Obi-Wan finally has a moment to rest. He hadn’t slept the night before, but he has at least been eating well the past few days, so he feels better than he usually does after a hard battle. Just tired, which is to be expected.

He still hasn’t followed Yoda's instructions to tell Anakin, and that fact remains in the back of his mind as he discusses the terms of surrender with the Separatist General, Anakin nearby to back him up. It goes quickly, too quickly for his liking… and soon he has no further excuse to put off his talk with Anakin.

The older Jedi briefly considers claiming he is tired, and would like a chance to sleep first… but no. He shouldn’t put this off any longer.

Anakin, for his part, seems eager as they walk back to their starfighters. He doesn’t push for anything however, which Obi-Wan is endlessly grateful for.

“Join me on _The Negotiator_?” Kenobi asks as they reach their ships. “I believe I promised you a talk.”

The other General nods, carefully hiding his excitement. “Yeah, we can talk when we get back. Race you to the hangar?”

That gets a chuckle from his former Master. “I think I will pass on that offer. I’ll be more than happy to let r4 fly my ship back.”

“Boo,” Anakin responds, amused. “Guess I’ll just be waiting for you then.”

Obi-Wan merely gives him a quiet hum, climbing into his starfighter and watching a few of the 501st escort the captured Separatist General onto their ship.

The trip back to his ship is short and uneventful. He’s face-to-face with Anakin before he’s really prepared himself for it, and he feels at a loss for words.

“Let’s go to your quarters?” The younger suggests.

He nods.

Kenobi keeps his hands folded in front of him as he walks, his eyes downcast in contemplation as he and his companion walk in silence.

Cody comes up to him at some point during their walk, asking if he needs anything.

 _Good man,_ the Jedi thinks quietly. He tells his friend they’re alright, and that both fleets are due back at Coruscant, so if he’d get them going, that would be appreciated.

When they finally reach his quarters, he is eager to seat himself on his bed. There is a spare one for a padawan, which Anakin or Ahsoka sometimes takes while _The Resolute II_ is under maintenance or in need of repairs. It is unmade right now… because Cody has been using it.

The kindhearted and fiercely protective clone had made an attempt to stand guard while Obi-Wan slept that first night after receiving the news. His General was having none of it, insisting that the Commander needed sleep just as much as he did, and then invited him to sleep in the spare bed if he was so set on protecting him.

He’s just glad he was able to convince Cody to sleep.

Anakin notices that the bed is unmade and frowns a bit as he sits down on it. “You had someone in here?”

“Cody,” the elder Jedi answers softly. “He worries about me. Especially since the… parasite.” He hopes he just comes off embarrassed, rather than untruthful.

Whether he succeeds or not is unclear. Anakin just nods, looking a little distracted. He hadn’t expected the odd surge of jealousy that came with the idea of someone else sleeping in Obi-Wan’s quarters… even if it’s just Cody being overprotective.

 _That’s my bed,_ comes the unbidden thought, and he has to shake it away. Where did this come from? Obi-Wan is an independent, full grown man and can have sleepovers with whoever he wants to.

“Ah,” comes his response, running a hand through his long hair. This is awkward. Does he just start talking?

Three days ago, he was all psyched up to talk to his old master. Now, he’s not so sure… he’s had too much time to overthink it and worry. What if Obi-Wan _doesn’t_ choose him?

He wishes he could talk to Padme again.

The silence stretches out for a minute longer, neither of them quite wanting to look the other in the eye. It’s so much easier to be around Obi-Wan on the battlefield, to trade easy banter as they cut their way through endless droids. It _shouldn’t_ be different now…

And that’s what finally emboldens Anakin enough for him to speak. “I feel as if there is a wall between us, Master.”

The Jedi Master nods, looking equally as sad as Anakin feels. “I do too. I have for a long time, now.” The ginger pauses, eyes fixated on his hands. “I… sometimes fear that it has grown so tall that it is insurmountable.”

Before he even finishes, Anakin is shaking his head. “That is untrue, Obi-Wan.” He leans forward, eyes boring into his best friend, his _brother_. He has to fix this, it can’t be too late for them to repair their relationship. “I want to talk to you about…” he hesitates, not quite sure _where_ he wants to start.

Well, he has to start somewhere, so why not at the root of their problems. The first time he caught Obi-Wan hiding things from _him_.

“… the Rako Hardeen thing.” He finishes, watching his friend carefully.

Predictably, Obi-Wan immediately launches into an apology. “Anakin, I cannot tell you how much I regret my actions, it was unfair--”

Anakin cuts him off, shaking his head. “No, Obi-Wan. You’ve already apologized. And… you aren’t the only one to blame for that. I… have been hiding things from you for a very long time. I set a precedent that we can lie to each other, and for that, _I_ am sorry.”

He can see the odd shine in Obi-Wan’s eyes, the hint at vulnerability that his old Master is usually too closed-off and in control of himself to show. There’s a glimmer of hope, of relief in the way he looks at him now, so happy to be forgiven. “… thank you,” the redhead says softly, looking a bit lost.

It’s the first step towards fixing things, the first step that they desperately needed.

The realization puts a small, fragile smile on Anakin’s face. “I just… I want to know _why_ , Master. I don’t believe you to be so vindictive that you would lie about your own death just because I have lied to you. You had to know how much it would hurt me…”

That point puts the sadness back in Obi-Wan’s eyes, and the older man takes a shaky breath, clearly needing a moment to collect his thoughts before he responds. “I… that’s just it, Anakin… I didn’t know. I underestimated how much pain I would cause you… I did not think my death would affect you as much as it did.”

 _“What?”_ the younger asks, tone incredulous. “You can’t be serious. You’re my _Master_ , you practically raised me. You’ve been the _one_ constant in my life since I was _nine_ , how could you possibly think I wouldn’t be devastated? You—you _know_ what it’s like to lose your Master.”

The reminder of Qui-Gon causes Kenobi to flinch, and Anakin _almost_ regrets making that jab.

His hands clasp together, white-knuckled as the ginger man stares resolutely down at them. “I am serious, Anakin,” he states, a little ruefully. “When I lost my Master… it hurt. It hurt more than I can describe…” his tone is so soft, so broken in a way Anakin has never heard before. They’ve never really talked about it, Obi-Wan only ever gave Anakin platitudes about how as Jedi, they must learn to accept loss and let go.

Now, Anakin knows his Master has been suppressing a much deeper hurt, which he has never addressed. “But… I managed. I was able to move on, because I had other people in my life to help me. I had you to take care of, I had Master Yoda to guide me, I had the Force when there was no one else to talk to. And… I knew it would hurt for you to lose me, but I also know that you have people to turn to when I’m gone, Anakin.” His eyes stay down, and his former padawan stay silent, holding his breath as Obi-Wan is finally, _finally_ honest with him.

“And… I was then, and still am convinced that you would rather lose me than any of them.” The older man’s jaw is tight, and Anakin _feels_ it as his walls go up, cutting himself off from his own emotions as he speaks. “You have Senator Amidala to support you emotionally, you have Ahsoka to watch your back in battle, you have Rex to be your best friend, and you even have the Chancellor to give you council and advice… you rarely come to me for any of these things anymore… and I… I feel as if I have become your second choice in all matters.”

There is a beat of silence, during which Anakin stares incredulously, and Obi-Wan keeps his gaze averted, his shoulders tensed as if he expects an attack.

“So…” Kenobi takes another slow breath, and Anakin can see the way he struggles to fight his own emotional response. “… no, I thought you would miss me… but I did not think you would be devastated. I assumed you would have moved on with the help of your friends before my mission was even over.”

Anakin can’t breathe. He can’t think. How could Obi-Wan think this? Where was he hiding all this… insecurity, and pain? How had he never noticed?

He’s not sure if he wants to strangle Obi-Wan or give him a hug and never let go.

“Master.” He starts, and sees the man flinch at his tone. “Master, look at me.”

Reluctantly, the older Jedi lifts his eyes from his hands and obeys, his grey-blue-green gaze glistening with unshed tears as he meets Anakin’s.

The younger holds his breath for a moment as he sees that, the evidence of emotion and pain in his so often aloof and disaffected Master’s expression. He really does believe that Anakin has already replaced him, and that revelation breaks the younger Jedi’s heart.

Anakin stands, on his feet before he can really think about it, and Obi-Wan watches him with a wariness that further feeds his guilt. “You look like you need a hug right now,” the younger Jedi explains himself as he moves closer.

“Don’t… don’t be ridiculous, Anakin…” the older starts, reaching up to swipe at his eyes with the sleeve of his robe. “I am 37 years old and a Jedi Master, I don’t need a…” he trails off as the taller man sits next to him on the bed and pulls him into a tight embrace. “… hug…”

Despite all his indignant words, the Jedi Master immediately melts into Anakin’s hold, leaning into him and releasing the tension in his shoulders. There’s a small jolt as he releases what might be a laugh or a sob, and then he’s burying his face in his fellow General’s chest, letting himself be held for once.

He made the right choice.

Thanking the Force that Obi-Wan hasn’t rejected the physical contact this time, Anakin gently rubs the older man’s back, wishing he’d known he felt like this so much sooner. His friend must have felt like this long before that plot to capture the Chancellor…

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know I made you feel that way,” he says in an attempt to sooth his pain. “Please… Obi-Wan, please don’t hide things like this from me. I had no idea… I always worried that I was a bother, coming to you for everything. As a padawan, it was okay… but knights aren’t supposed to be so reliant on their Masters, so I… tried to bother you less.” He tucks his head against the other man’s carefully kept hair.

 _“Anakin,”_ his former Master says his name in a familiarly exasperated tone, though this time there is an undercurrent of emotion there. “You, my dear padawan, will never, ever be a bother to me.” His arms wind around the younger man a bit tighter. “I find myself being selfish by wishing that you needed me more. You have become such a strong, wonderful man and Jedi, and I will admit that sometimes I feel left behind in your wake. But please know that I have only ever been proud of you, never annoyed. I have… difficulty expressing that sometimes, but it _is_ the truth.”

These are exactly the kinds of things Anakin needed to hear from his Master. He holds on even tighter, feeling his breath catch in his throat as emotion starts to overtake him as well.

They hold on tightly to one another, two full-grown men quietly falling apart together as the wall between them finally starts to crack.

It is a long time before either of them can speak again, in the meantime communicating with only strong feelings pushed towards each other over the old training bond they once shared. Obi-Wan knows that these sorts of emotional displays are unbecoming of two renowned Jedi such as themselves… but blame it on the hormones running through him, he can’t bring himself to care. He _needs_ this, and so does Anakin.

When he finally speaks, it’s in a voice thick with raw emotion. “Anakin… You are my brother, and I love you, do not ever doubt that.”

There is a small quiver in the surrounding Force at those words… words that in another life, were said too late to repel the darkness.

The taller of the two Jedi responds with a choked cry upon hearing the declaration he never thought he would hear from Obi-Wan’s lips. He had never been sure, all throughout the years he’d known the man… Kenobi tended to be distant at worst, and shrewd at best. He always knew Obi-Wan was at least _fond_ of him… but he could never be sure that the man loved him.

“I love you too, Master.” He manages to get out, hugging the redhead with bone-crushing strength. “I have wanted to hear you say that since I was nine… I owe everything I am to you, both the Jedi and the man I have become, it’s only because of your teaching. I wouldn’t be who I am without you, Obi-Wan, you are _irreplaceable_ to me.”

And now it is the older Jedi’s turn to let out a choked sob, burying his wet face deeper into Anakin’s tunics. He needed to hear this just as much as Anakin did, if not more so. He can’t quite believe it, but he tries his best.

Another few moments pass in silence as they try to recover, clinging to each other tightly. It’s… a lot.

And, objectively, both of them know that it isn’t healthy to be this codependent on one another.

Neither really cares to think objectively on the matter, however.

“… Obi-Wan?” Anakin finally says, pulling away just enough to look down at his shorter friend.

The Jedi Master meets his gaze, expression fragile but less sad than earlier.

Anakin brushes his thumb across one tear-strained cheek to dry it. “I have more to say… but for now, we’re both exhausted, and this has been a lot. Let’s get some sleep, and we can finish this talk on Coruscant.”

The other man nods, seeming relieved by the suggestion. “… stay with me?”

Anakin feels his heart clench at the request, at the unsure lilt to his Master’s voice. “Yeah, I— yeah. Should we change?”

The only answer he receives is a silent shake of Obi-Wan’s copper-haired head, and then he’s tugged down to lay in bed with his best friend and brother, and a blanket is pulled over them. He decides not to argue, just using a flick of the Force to shut off the lights. It takes a little shifting to get comfortable with all the layers of clothing they’re both still wearing, but he manages.

Obi-Wan is out cold before he’s even settled, tucked snugly against his chest. He must be more tired than he let on.

Anakin takes a bit longer to drift off, but the contact and the warmth of both his Master’s body and his relaxed Force signature helps a lot. It may be just his imagination, but he thinks Obi-Wan’s Force presence has grown even brighter in the past month. Maybe he just thinks so now that they are growing closer again.

Eventually he too falls asleep, and for once suffers no nightmares.

He dreams instead of a little girl, her smile blindingly bright and her eyes bluer than the sky, full of joy. She has bouncy copper curls, and he thinks she looks like someone he knows, but at the same time he is sure he’s never seen her before.

The dreams fill him with a warmth and happiness that he can’t explain, but he just knows he will see this girl someday, that she is important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank everyone so much for the lovely and encouraging comments! I am so grateful!!! What do you guys think is gonna happen when they get to Coruscant?


	7. Announcements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you for all the lovely comments!!! I really appreciate them!
> 
> now... things get a little dicey. enjoy!

They are on Coruscant before they wake, and Obi-Wan is immediately summoned to meet with Yoda, which prevents them from continuing their talk that morning. Thankfully, sleeping together helped them both quite a lot, putting the two Jedi’s souls at ease.

It’s not something they’ve done since they were Master and Padawan, since Anakin would have nightmares and he’d crawl into the Obi-Wan's bed to seek security in his arms.

This time the roles were a bit reversed, with Obi-Wan being the one in need of comfort and security… but it was still good for both men. Still familiar, despite the years since they have allowed themselves to share that closeness.

When Obi-Wan goes to Yoda for their shared meditation, he’s glad that he had this chance to reconcile some of his and Anakin’s old hurts first. He may not be totally at peace with himself, but he’s certain that now, at least his soul will be calm enough for him to convince his great-grand Master that he is handling this development well enough to stay on the battlefield.

Anakin asks what Yoda wants with him. He tells him it’s in regard to the meeting three days ago, and that isn’t a lie, so Anakin doesn’t question him further.

They part ways reluctantly, Anakin going to meet Ahsoka as she returns from her own solo mission. She’ll be a knight soon, they’re both certain of it.

“Well-rested you look,” the ancient Jedi Master states approvingly as Kenobi joins him.

Obi-Wan takes a seat across from him in the private meditation room. “I have my clones to thank for that. They’ve been urging me over the past few days to keep a healthier schedule than I usually do.”

That explanation brings a smile to the older Master’s weathered face. “Unforeseen, but positive these consequences of your child are. Happy I am to hear you have shared your good news with your men. Care deeply for you they do, and protective they will be of both you and the infant.”

“They are excited to have a little sister,” Obi-Wan admits with a certain warmth in his tone. “It is good to know that my daughter will be born surrounded by love.” The entirety of the Ghost Company now knows about his pregnancy, and all of them have taken the news with enthusiasm. He catches them often in the mess, planning for how they’re going to help teach their little sister and what things they’re going to give her when she’s finally born.

It brings endless warmth to his heart to see his men so openly excited and making plans for a future after the war. They all seem to have decided that they are going to stay with their General no matter what, and he cannot put words to the strength of his happiness regarding their loyalty. The 212th will always be his family, whether they are still at war or not.

Yoda agrees with him, if the contented state of the Force surrounding them is any indication.

“Indeed. Blessed this child will be. Already, lighter the Force is with her existence.” The old Master states, closing his eyes briefly. He has spent a lot of time meditating on the unexpected pregnancy… and while Darkness still clouds the future, he can finally see a path of light when he meditates on the girl’s future. He does not know what the Force holds in store for her and her parents… but he cannot ignore her importance.

That statement brings Obi-Wan a wave of relief. If Yoda supports her existence— despite the circumstances of her conception— then that can only bode well for her future.

He dreamt about her again last night, more clearly than he ever has. She… she’s perfect. He can’t wait for the chance to hold her in his arms.

“Our meditation we should begin,” Yoda states, hopping off of his seat and hobbling closer to the much younger man. Obi-Wan makes room for him on the pallet seat, so they can sit in the meditation form across from one another, knees just barely touching.

The younger Jedi bows his head, letting Yoda take ahold of his shoulders and guide him into a shared meditation.

. . .

After meeting up with Ahsoka for firstmeal and listening to her go over her mission with him (she was very excited to be entrusted to go retrieve a lost artifact from the ruins of a forgotten Jedi Temple, even if it was a little uneventful), Anakin lets her go off to enjoy her meditative retreat while he seeks out Padme.

She’s in the Senate, so he finds an empty observation deck and quietly sits to wait out the debate and admire his wife. She always looks twice as beautiful when she gives speeches over the matters she is passionate about. He doesn’t really have a head for politics, but whatever it is she’s advocating for, he agrees.

The debate isn’t over before his comm beeps, alerting him to an incoming call. It’s from Mace Windu, and he’s tempted to ignore it… but it’s not like he’s doing anything important, and he’ll just hear about it later if he doesn’t pick up.

“Master Windu,” he greets, walking out of the senate rotunda so that his surroundings will be quiet. He doesn’t need Mace knowing that he runs off to watch Senators in his free time.

The Korun greets him with a nod as he appears in a miniaturized holo of himself. “Skywalker. The Council requests your presence for a meeting before you enjoy your meditative retreat.”

Somehow, he manages to sound sarcastic as he refers to the vacation, as if he knows that Anakin has no intention of meditating for a week.

He considers declining… it’s not like they can order him to while he’s on vacation. But it would just put him further at odds with the Masters, and he would _like_ to someday be on the Council. If he doesn’t end up just leaving the Order entirely, that is.

“Sure, when is the meeting?”

“In an hour,” Mace answers, giving him a nod. “ _Try_ not to be late for once?”

Instead of answering, Anakin just snorts. “I’ll see you in an hour-ish, Master Windu.”

“ _Skywalk_ \--”

He’s cut off as Anakin hangs up the holocall, fighting not to roll his eyes at the man. Mace Windu seems to have an inexplicable dislike for him, and only him. It’s especially odd because he takes no issue with Obi-Wan or Ahsoka… just _Anakin._

It’s frustrating.

At least he can get back at the stuck-up Jedi Master in small ways.

He considers spending the rest of his time before the meeting continuing to watch his wife from afar… but decides that he would like to stop by to at least say hello to her before he goes to deal with whatever the Council wants.

Changing his direction, he heads to the elevators, knowing the way to her designated position in the senate by heart. It doesn’t take him long to get there, quietly walking onto the docked platform. She’s finished her speech, and the Senate appears to have moved on to the next proceedings.

When Padme notices Anakin has silently joined her, she seems surprised to see him, but happy. She mutters something to Jar-Jar, and then moves back to join her husband at the back of the platform. “Master Jedi,” she greets serenely, the only indication that he is anything more to her being the spark of happiness in her eyes. “How fortunate of you to arrive now. Will you escort me to my office for some tea?”

There’s a hint of a smile, but otherwise Anakin remains only respectful as he gives her a small bow. “But of course, Senator Amidala. I am at your service.”

She looks radiant today, and her faint Force presence appears to shine particularly bright. She must be very happy about something.

Taking his arm, the Senator leads him out into the mostly deserted hallways. “Ani,” she whispers once they’re a safe distance from the rotunda. “I have wonderful news.”

Padme had intended to wait until the excitement of the war had died down somewhat to tell him… but she knows she won’t be able to keep this from him for the entire week they have to spend together. And on top of that, she can tell the issues with his Mentor and with Rex have been weighing him down. He could use some good news to lift his spirits.

He seems amused by her enthusiasm, his eyes dancing. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense.”

A giggle leaves her as she continues to drag him down the long hallways. “In my office.”

Her enthusiasm rubs off on him, and soon they’re practically racing to her lounge room, or office, as she calls it. It’s a bit far, but with the majority of the Senate preoccupied, they make it in record time, running down empty hallways like excited children.

Once they finally reach her rather luxurious Senate rooms, she tugs him inside, dragging him down for a long kiss.

Anakin isn’t one to complain, his arms going tightly around her as he holds her close to him. When she finally ends it, he smiles down at her, confusion showing in his eyes. “What is it you want to tell me, my angel?”

She stays in his arms, her hands coming up to cup his face. “Ani, my love… You’re going to be a father. _I’m pregnant._ ”

Anakin feels his heart stop for a second, the unexpected revelation hitting him like a squib battering ram. His eyes widen with joy, “That’s- That’s _wonderful_ , Padme- I…” without any conscious thought on his part, he has Padme lifted off the ground, spinning her around as he once more kisses her thoroughly.

She laughs happily into the kiss, her arms coming around his shoulders. When they part again, she smiles brightly at him, her hair starting to come loose from her ornate headdress. “I found out yesterday. Oh, Ani, can you imagine? You’re going to be a wonderful father.”

This is probably not the kind of revelation he should be having before a meeting with the Council… but right now, Anakin couldn’t care less about the Council. Kriff them, he’s gonna be a dad!

“Padme, this is…” He trails off, a huge smile breaking across his face. “I love you, so, so much. And I know that I’m going to love our child equally so.” He takes both her hands in his, entwining their fingers together. “How far along are you?”

“Only a few weeks,” she blushes, remembering the last time they came together, after a mission where she’d had to come negotiate for his release after he’d gone and gotten himself capture on a neutral world, thanks to a little misunderstanding.

He nods, leaning down to kiss her cheek gently. “Then I have plenty of time to end this war… and then I can be here for you. _Both_ of you, all of the time.” There’s no doubt in his heart anymore. He is ready to leave the Order for her, for his family.

Her face lights up at his implication, and she lets go of his hands to throw her arms around him. “Ani, you mean that?”

“Of course, Angel,” he tells her gently, helping her release her hair from the headdress so he can run his fingers through it. “We get closer to capturing Dooku and Grievous with every battle, it’s only a matter of time now. I _won’t_ let Dooku escape me again.” He has yet to face off against Grievous… but he knows the cyborg General won’t stand a chance when they finally do cross paths. “When peace is restored to the Republic… all I want is you, my Angel.”

A quiet noise of happiness leaves her as she holds him a bit tighter.

They stand together in silence for a few moments, holding one another close and basking in the warmth of each other’s presence. _They are going to be parents._

Anakin’s commlink chirps, reminding him of the time. It’s the start of the hour, which means he doesn’t have long before the Council expects him.

“Kark,” he mutters, pulling away from Padme a little. “I can walk you back to the Senate… but I have a meeting with the Council. They’re expecting me soon.”

The Senator seems a bit sad that he has to go so soon, but she understands. “Can you walk me back?”

He nods, letting her take his arm again as they leave the office together. “I’ll come back right after, and then you have me for the whole week, okay?”

That promise makes her brighten again. “You better, Ani.” She gets on her tip-toes to give his cheek a kiss, then remains once more civil and quiet for the rest of their walk.

. . .

The shared meditation went well. For once, Obi-Wan is feeling rather well and at peace with himself. If this had been a day earlier, he may not have passed Yoda’s evaluation. As it is, his talk with Anakin went a long way towards soothing some of his pent-up feelings and frustrations.

He isn’t totally at ease, but they are at war, and that’s to be expected.

It only helps him to know that he and his friend are going to talk more later, and perhaps finally get through the remainder of the wall between them. If they can do that… maybe he can even come clean to his friend, tell him about the child. If they can finally be honest and open with each other… there’s a chance that Anakin will actually listen to him, that he won’t overreact at the information.

He feels better after the meditation, too. Master Yoda always was a soothing presence to him, helping him release any small frustrations or hurts that he hasn’t managed to purge himself. Ever since he was a youngling, the ancient Master has been a calm, nurturing mentor to him.

Many times in his youth, Kenobi wished that Master Yoda had trained him instead of Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Now he knows there was a reason for him to learn under Master Jinn, and he’s grateful. Not only did he teach Obi-Wan to question, to see beyond what is in front of him, and to trust his instincts… he brought Anakin into his life, and the boy has been by far the best thing that ever happened to him.

Thing, because to call Anakin a person is an understatement. The boy is a force of nature, and everyone who encounters him is forever affected.

Once his peace of mind and soul are confirmed by his great-grand Master, the two Council members take their leave from the meditation room. Obi-Wan is in high spirits, keeping pace with the older Jedi as they make light conversation with one another on their way to a meeting with the other members of the Council. It is time to decide what they will do with him, whether he will stay a General until he is unfit to fight, or if he will be kept in the Temple until the child is born.

He knows they’re late; they took their time walking to the Council Chambers.

So, Mace’s disapproving look is to be expected.

What he _doesn’t_ expect, is for Anakin to be there, waiting impatiently near Obi-Wan’s seat on the Council.

No.

Oh, no.

“Master,” he turns to Yoda, a hint of panic rising in his throat as he speaks in a hushed voice. “Why is Anakin here?”

The older Jedi looks up at him curiously but doesn’t get to speak before they’re greeted.

“It took you long enough, Masters.” Anakin states, a mixture of amusement and impatience in his tone.

Windu scoffs at the Knight. “Have somewhere to be, Skywalker?”

Anakin isn’t intimidated by the Korun’s tone. “Maybe,” he shrugs. “I’m supposed to be on retreat.”

The flippant attitude causes the Korun to raise a brow. “I’m impressed. I thought you’d be more interested in sharing your opinion regarding Obi-Wan’s condition.”

Confusion crosses Anakin’s face, and dread fills Obi-Wan’s heart. “Mace,” he whispers in warning, frozen in place just inside the chambers.

Yoda seems to realize what’s going on then, right as Mace does as well.

“What condition?” Anakin asks, and it’s the final nail in Obi-Wan’s coffin.

The Grand Master’s eyes narrow as he looks accusingly at Obi-Wan, pointing at him with his gimer stick. “Instructed you to tell Skywalker, I did.”

“I was going to--” Obi-Wan is sure the entire room can hear the pounding of his heartbeat. He doesn’t dare look at Anakin.

“Had your chance, you did.” The eldest Master states with heavy disappointment in his tone. “Tell him now, we must.” There’s a pause as he looks the much younger Jedi over. “Expected better of you, I did, Obi-Wan. Speak later, we will.”

His hands are shaking. He wants to leave, to just run, but he’s frozen in place. Terror keeps him still as stone.

Anakin looks lost, especially in the face of seeing his perfect Master scolded by Yoda. Never, _ever_ has he witnessed that before. “What was he supposed to tell me?” He looks pleadingly at his former Master, who looks pale and panicked, and won’t meet his eyes. “Obi-Wan?”

Mace, never one to draw things out, speaks up with an explanation. For once, he doesn’t sound hostile. “I’m sorry Skywalker. We thought you knew. Obi-Wan is pregnant.”

Several flashes of emotion cross the Jedi Knight’s face. Initial joy, followed by confusion, then anger. It settles there, his gaze narrowing on Obi-Wan. “There was no parasite, was there.”

At the hostility in his tone, Obi-Wan takes a step back. “No,” his voice is painfully quiet.

The rest of the Council remains mute, letting the two of them handle this as they silently judge. Those who are physically present feel darkness gather in the room as Anakin’s temper flares to life.

“ _Four Days,_ Obi-Wan. You didn’t _tell_ _me_.” His anger grows as he comes to multiple realizations. “You told _Rex_ , and not me.”

Obi-Wan flinches, as if he was slapped. “I was going to,” he echoes.

If he were a more vindictive man, he would have thrown back the point that it had been _two years_ and Anakin hadn’t told him about his relationship with Padme. But he won’t do that to him… not in front of the Council.

“ _When,_ Obi-Wan?” Anakin asks, not having it. “After you were done endangering your life and hers?” He’s sure now, that’s who his dream was about. Now that he has context, he can see both himself and Obi-Wan in the girl’s features. She’s precious, so delicate and innocent… How could Obi-Wan put her in danger?

Obi-Wan hurts. Anakin’s anger hurts. He knew it would… and yet, he still isn’t sure that this is worse than if he had told him right away, and if Anakin had been kind. If he had to pretend for months that Anakin cared about _him_ , and not just that he’s carrying his child. It hurts now, but at least it will be quick, and then over.

“She was in no danger,” he responds, subdued in both tone and posture.

Anakin takes a rash step forward. “No danger!? Obi-Wan do you even see yourself on a battlefield? You always fight with no regard for your own life! I never know if you’ll come back from missions when I’m not with you! You should have been sent straight back to Coruscant the second you found out!”

That gets a reaction from Obi-Wan. The elder Jedi raises his chin, meeting Anakin’s heatedly passionate glare with a hurt, but cold gaze. Fire against ice. “And who are you to decide what I should and should not do, padawan? This is _exactly_ why I didn’t tell you. You are _selfish,_ and you are overreacting.”

Anakin looks as if he’s been slapped.

Obi-Wan can’t stand to be there anymore. His heart feels broken. What they said to one another last night means nothing… their relationship truly is too irreparable.

With an apology pushed through the Force to Yoda, Kenobi turns around and strides out of the Council Chambers, leaving Anakin to stand there, momentarily stunned.

He can feel tears on his cheeks, and he breaks into a run, wanting to lock himself in his rooms and avoid everyone for… for the next eight months, if possible.

Maybe he has time to run, he can hide on a sand planet like he told Anakin he would. Change his name, raise his daughter in solitude.

No… he won’t do that. It’s a ridiculous idea. He is not that desperate _yet._

However, he _will_ sprint all the way to his rooms, past dozens of surprised Jedi Knights and padawans. All the way to the room suite he used to share with Anakin, but is now just his. Once inside, he uses the Force to crush the locking mechanism; that should keep Anakin out for a while. He can already feel the approach of his thunderous force presence.

Truth be told… not only is he heartbroken… he is _scared_. The darkness that gathered around Anakin frightens him. He remembers Mortis… he knows his former padawan is capable of atrocities, that the Dark Side calls strongly to him.

That this, his own recklessness and a child could cause Anakin’s presence to darken so much… it reminds him too closely of that horrible planet, out of sync with space and time. If he can make Anakin _fall…_

He’s failed his padawan.

Obi-Wan just wants to feel safe, to have his thoughts to himself for a _moment_. He tries to clear his head as he collapses on his bed, trembling with exhaustion and _too many emotions_. It hurts, his heart hurts, everything hurts, and he can’t find the peace needed to release all that pain to the Force.

All he can do is curl up on his bed, tears rolling unbidden down his cheeks, and feel these things he _never_ wanted to feel.

He doesn’t have long before Anakin catches up to him, and he doesn’t know what he’s going to _do_.

. . .

It takes Anakin a few moments to recover from what Obi-Wan said. It stings to know that one of the most important people in his life… probably _the_ most important person in his life… think _that_ about him.

When he recovers, and it registers that Obi-Wan left, he does the sensible thing, and chases after him.

They are _not_ done.

Not by a long shot.

Last night proved to him that things can be fixed between them, he just… he has to get Obi-Wan to _talk_. If he can do that, if he can make him talk so he can _understand_ , they can fix this. And then… then he can be a father to both of his kids.

Padme will understand, he knows she will. She’s the best of all of them. And she cares about Obi-Wan almost as much as he does… She would want him to be responsible about this.

So he runs out the door after his Master, a desperate need driving him out of the Council chambers.

Mace makes a move to stop him, but Yoda shakes his head.

When both Kenobi and Skywalker are gone, the ancient Master explains himself in a tired tone. “Need this, they do… Troubled and wavering, Skywalker has been. The darkness in him, you all felt. Meditated for many hours on this child I did, and a conclusion I have reached. Keep Skywalker in the Light, she may. Trust them we must, because need the Chosen One in the Light, we do.”

“You think he could fall?” Plo Koon asks, a bit indignantly.

Yoda nods seriously. “Trust in them, we must… Decide our fate, will he.” He closes his eyes for a moment. “… The best chance for salvation, this child provides… so interfere, we will not.”

It doesn’t sit well with any of them, leaving the fate of the entire Order in the hands of Kenobi, Skywalker, and an unborn child… but Yoda believes it to be the best way forward.

“We will defer to your judgement, Master,” Luminara states, and rumbles of uneasy agreement come from the rest of the Jedi Masters in the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, and Anakin finally finds out...
> 
> Tell me what you think and what You'd like to see! I upped the chapter count to 12 because I decided to plan out a few more things based on conversations in the discord and comments :) I don't think it'll be more than that, though.


	8. Battle of the Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is less edited because I had a busy past two days and I just wanted to get this out here for y'all. Sorry in advance for any mistakes!! let me know if you notice any and I'll try to fix them!

It’s far too soon before the dark mass of anger in the Force that is Anakin reaches his door. He hears the attempt to open it, and the creaking and sparking as that fails. There’s a spike of anger from Anakin, and it makes Obi-Wan whimper in fear, curling tighter in on himself.

“Obi-Wan!!” comes the bellowing voice of his former padawan through the damaged door. There’s a clang that he’s sure is Anakin’s metal hand. “Unlock this door!”

It isn’t locked. Anakin should realize that soon enough on his own, so Obi-Wan decides not to respond, just pulling a pillow over his head. He’s sure his Force signature is radiating his distress; hopefully Anakin will take a hint and leave him be.

The banging continues, starting to give him a headache.

Anakin’s Force signature just grows darker and more angry as he is ignored. “Obi-Wan, if you don’t open this door now, I will cut it open!”

The elder Master pulls his head up, looking incredulously at the door. Surely he’s joking, he wouldn’t irreparably damage temple property. The lock mechanism can be fixed but _cutting a hole in the door_ would mean it has to be replaced completely.

He’s at a loss for words for a second, and then he speaks, somehow keeping his voice steady as he shouts back. “I broke the lock because I don’t want to talk to you, Anakin!” He flinches as he feels another spike in the darkness outside his door. “You are being unreasonable! I will not speak to you when you are like this!”

His former padawan’s force signature prods at the broken lock, sensing what Obi-Wan did to it. “ _I’m_ unreasonable?! You _crushed_ your door lock! It will take them over a day to repair this! How do you plan to eat?!”

“I have food stored here!” Sort of. He has tea. And crackers that are probably stale by now.

“No, you don’t!” Anakin calls back, knowing from years of living with the man that he was the only one who ever kept the kitchenette stocked with anything. “You never think anything through!”

Obi-Wan chooses not to respond to that. How rich, coming from the Jedi known for his recklessness—so much so that he earned the title ‘Hero with no Fear’.

He curls up on his bed again, determined to ignore Anakin until he goes away. He will have to get someone to fix the door, after all.

But rather than the sound of Anakin’s footsteps going again, he hears a frustrated noise, and then the igniting of a lightsaber and the hissing and spitting of plasma cutting through durasteel.

“Anakin!” he shouts frantically, his panic starting to bleed into his voice.

The younger Jedi seems to sense his distress then, and his saber pauses as he speaks. “I’m coming in, Obi-Wan. And we are going to _talk,_ like adults.”

The older Jedi’s heart thumps loudly in his chest as the lightsaber continues to cut through his door. He never knew just how terrifying it was to be on the other end of this-- save for the one time he and Ventress were escaping Maul and Savage. Then, at least, he had an escape route.

He eyes the window, briefly debating if it’s worth Anakin’s ire to use that as a means of escape.

This can’t be avoided forever though, and he should probably not be trying to piss his former padawan off anymore… he should be trying to keep him _away_ from the darkness, not trying to drive him closer to it.

He just wishes that Anakin would give him some time to pull himself together. He _can_ handle this… he knows he can—what’s one more loss when he’s already lost everything?

If only he could have a minute to collect himself…

So, he stays huddled in his bed, fighting the urge to hide or run. The Jedi Master just turns his face into the pillow and hugs it tightly, trying to be calm. He can’t let Anakin see him in this state. If he sees any weakness, he’ll just take it as proof that he should be removed from the Army.

Though… after the fiasco in the Council Chamber… he rather doubts that they’ll vote for him to stay a General. He may as well get used to the idea of staying in the Temple for the next year.

There are tears still stinging at his eyes. He’d try to stop them, but there’s really no point in it. Painless told him he should expect to be more hormonal and prone to emotions. He can’t help it.

It helps him a little to realize that at least one aspect of this is completely out of his control. In fact, most of it is out of his control now. All he can do now is let this happen and accept whatever the result is.

A glance over his shoulder shows that Anakin isn’t far from cutting through. He wonders why no one has tried to stop him yet… perhaps he isn’t the only one afraid of his former padawan.

When the hiss of plasma dragging its way through durasteel stops, a shiver runs through him. Then, he can’t help the little wince that jolts his body as the panel of durasteel is kicked into his rooms, thudding to the ground with a thunderous clang.

He thinks it ought to be impressive that he manages to stay where he is, just pulling his blanket tighter around himself. Or, it would be if he wasn’t shaking like a leaf.

“Obi-Wan,” his padawan’s voice starts in a tone that’s somewhere between harsh and sad. The bed dips as Anakin sits on it next to him, not touching yet.

The shivering continues. He keeps his jaw tight, determined to hold his ground and not speak to Anakin so long as he continues to act this way.

That will nearly breaks as soon as Anakin touches him, putting a hand on his shoulder that’s too gentle for the anger he feels rolling off the other man. “Master, you’re scared of me.” The realization seems to surprise Anakin as he says it out loud. “I’m not going to hurt you. I would _never—_ I’m… I’m mad at you. I’m furious, but I would never harm you, you have to know that.”

 _You already have_ , Obi-Wan thinks ruefully, but continues to be silent. Anakin may never harm him physically, or even intentionally… but his actions still hurt Obi-Wan as effectively as any Lightsaber burn.

“Why did you run,” Anakin asks- no- _demands,_ gripping Obi-Wan’s shoulder a little tight. The lack of a response is frustrating him. “Obi-Wan, you have to talk to me. I thought after last night, we were gonna be okay… But you’re shutting me out again, why are you doing this? This should be a _happy_ revelation… it _would_ be if you had told me yourself.”

Obi-Wan has half a mind to slap him. He has to know that he _wanted_ to tell him himself. He has to know that he planned to, when they had a chance to speak again. He would have done so today, if only Anakin had finally told him his own secrets.

And perhaps he isn’t so vindictive that he would out Anakin in front of the Council… but he is vindictive enough to take Anakin’s right to tell him himself away, the same as it had been taken from him. He rips his shoulder from Anakin’s grasp, pushing himself up to glare at Anakin through the tears in his eyes. He’s still trembling, but now he’s no longer sure if it’s from fear or anger. Perhaps it’s both.

“ _If I told you myself?_ Oh, I suppose you mean like _you_ told me about your relationship with Senator Amidala? _I’m_ the one shutting you out when I keep _my business_ to myself for _four days_ when you’ve been parading around behind my back with her for _two years?_ ”

Anakin reels back as if he had been slapped, not expecting this level of hostility. He opens his mouth but shuts it again at a severe look from Obi-Wan as the other man continues.

“And before you give me some half-baked excuse about telling the Order, Anakin, that is _utter banthakark._ I _saw_ you. In the arena at Geonosis, I _saw you_ kiss her, and I didn’t tell you off for it. I needed your help against Dooku, and yes, I told you the Council would have you expelled if you let him get away to go back for her, but _only_ because if you had done that, I would not have been able to protect your secret.” He pauses to take a breath and keep his cool before he continues. “But when, Anakin, ever since that moment, have I given the impression that I am not on your side? That I don’t support you and the woman you love?”

He’s breaking his own heart, unable to stop tears from falling freely down his cheeks. “Before you talk about _shutting_ _you_ _out_ , or _keeping secrets_ , _Anakin_ , perhaps you should consider your own deceptions.”

It’s like a slap to the face for Anakin. He finally has his answer— Obi-Wan knew, from the moment it began, too. Before they even got married. He had definitive proof, and he never turned Anakin in. He gave Anakin _two years_ to tell him himself…

And he didn’t.

The realization that all this really _is_ his own fault hits like a ton of bricks.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters, feeling very suddenly like a padawan again. Only Obi-Wan and Padme can make him feel this way— like he still has so much to learn.

Obi-Wan isn’t feeling particularly generous today. “You should be.” He can’t stop himself from trembling, so he moves back a bit, away from Anakin so he can use the wall his bed sits against to try to steady himself. “I don’t apologize for keeping the knowledge of _my_ child to myself. You are not entitled to her, and-- throwing a _tantrum_ will not help your case.” He glances over a bit mournfully at the hunk of metal in the entryway to his rooms, the edges still glowing. “Especially not when you’ve gone and ruined my door.”

“You _can’t_ be serious,” Anakin starts, something hot and bright in his eyes as they snap back to Obi-Wan. “She’s my daughter too, isn’t she?” He gets an ugly, horrible feeling in his chest at the idea of someone else having Obi-Wan the way he did. It’s the same feeling as when he found out Cody had been using his— Obi-Wan’s spare bed. He needs to figure out _what_ that is and address it. “You _can’t_ keep me out of her life, Obi-Wan. And you can’t push me out of yours, either. I’m going to take care of you, and her, and Padme, and all of my family. You can’t do this alone.”

“I am not alone,” the older man states, his copper-bearded jaw set stubbornly. “You aren’t the only one who can help me with this.” And if Obi-Wan is being perfectly honest, Anakin isn’t even the best.

… He _is_ the only one Obi-Wan desperately wants, however.

Oh, Anakin doesn’t like that. His eyes darken, as does the force around him. “You mean the clones,” he asks, but it isn’t really a question. “I can’t believe you would tell them before you told me.”

“ _They_ are honest with me,” Obi-Wan counters, knowing that he’s treading dangerous ground. He doesn’t care… they’re finally talking to each other and _saying what they actually mean_ , and he isn’t going to hold back. Their relationship is probably going to be in tatters by the end of this… but he can’t bear for them to keep hiding things only for the sake of preserving a broken friendship.

Rather than getting angrier at his point, like he expected… Anakin averts his gaze, feeling a pang of sadness at the truth of it. Rex and Padme were right… they told him he can’t expect honesty when he isn’t honest, and now Obi-Wan is only confirming what he should have already known.

“… I’m sorry. I should have trusted you.”

“But you didn’t.” Obi-Wan states bluntly, feeling rightly miffed. “You should go. You did say you have somewhere to be… I take it you were pulled away from the Senator?”

Anakin is shaking his head, but he doesn’t look angry this time, just sad. “I’m not leaving until we’ve sorted this out. Padme… You’re right, she is expecting me back, but she can wait for now.” She’ll be busy with the senate for a while longer, anyways. He takes a deep breath. “I want to fix this. I want us to be honest with each other from now on, and I want to be a part of _our_ daughter’s life. What do you know about Padme and I?”

He had been hoping Anakin would storm off by now. The fact that he hasn’t… both confuses him and gives him a ridiculous sense of hope. And… he can’t lie to himself and say he doesn’t like the way Anakin says ‘our daughter’.

It sounds _right._

Obi-Wan shakes that thought off, needing to focus on the present. He won’t try to put himself between Anakin and Padme. This child is _his_ gift, not Anakin’s burden. “Do you truly believe it is so easy, Anakin? That you can tell me the truth now, and all will be well?”

A hand cups his jaw, making him face Anakin as the younger man talks, for once looking calm and intense. “… No, Master. I don’t expect this will be easy, no lesson you teach me ever is. But I have many secrets to tell you, and I can’t begin to make things right until I have told you all of them.”

That hand on Obi-Wan’s face is too gentle as Anakin brushes a thumb across his cheek to dry it. He wishes Anakin would be rough, he doesn’t know what to do with this softness.

“So please, give me a chance to fix this, Obi-Wan? Tell me how much you know, so I know where to start.”

He’s never really been able to say no to Anakin. Especially not when he’s looking at Obi-Wan like _that_. “… I… know that you’ve had an ongoing secret relationship with her since the start of the Clone Wars. I know that she is a lovely woman, and she’s very good for you, which is why I’ve never tried to interfere with it. I know that you’re never really ‘inspecting armor’ when Rex is guarding a door for you.” He pauses, a tiny hint of a smile crossing his face at Anakin’s flash of embarrassment. “That’s all, though. I try not to pry too much into your private life.”

Anakin nods. So Obi-Wan knows, but doesn’t know much. He still has a lot to reveal.

It takes him a moment to build the courage to say it. He feels like he should consult Padme, or have her here for this…

But _she_ is the one who was pushing for him to talk to Obi-Wan about it in the first place. So, that isn’t really an excuse to put this off.

“She’s my wife,” he says finally, his hand dropping from Obi-Wan’s face as he looks away, unable to watch the disappointment and disapproval he’s sure will be there. “And… and that’s not all. She’s pregnant too. She just told me today… before the Council meeting.”

Obi-Wan should be happy for his friend. He should congratulate Anakin, so he does. “That’s… wonderful, Anakin. She’s a wonderful person. The two of you will make terrific parents.” He doesn’t feel it, however, his voice falling a little flat.

Anakin has a wife.

Anakin and his wife have a child on the way.

The news feels like ice encasing his heart. Or, not exactly. There’s been ice encasing his heart ever since Anakin began lying to him. But instead of melting it free, this news feels like a hammer and chisel, shattering it to messy pieces.

He really does have to do this without Anakin, doesn’t he?

He already knew it… but he was foolish enough to have a hope, and the knowledge that there isn’t one kills what little optimism he had left for that possibility.

A hand on his shoulder pulls him out of his own head, drawing his eyes up to meet Anakin’s concerned ones.

“Obi-Wan, please, don’t keep pulling away from me…” The younger Jedi looks so worried by the way Obi-Wan just shut down on him, the sudden toneless quality of his voice. “I’ve hurt you…” He sounds horrified and… and afraid. As if he’s never considered the possibility that _he_ could hurt Obi-Wan. As if he never knew he was capable of it, and now he’s found that he is, after he’s already broken what he once thought was unbreakable.

The only comfort Obi-Wan finds is in how now, finally, the darkness recedes from the Force. He feels as if he can breathe again, the oppressive cloud of anger rolling back and away. He draws back a little, taking slow, deep breaths in a poor attempt to maintain his delicate illusion of control.

It’s really rather pointless when there are already tears on his cheeks and he can’t stop himself from trembling, but he’s nothing if not infuriatingly stubborn.

His resolve nearly crumbles when Anakin cups his face in both hands, which prevents him from getting very far and makes him face the other man.

Nearly, but not quite. “You should go to her, I’m sure she needs you.”

“You need me too,” Anakin insists, a little frown on his features as he desperately tries to figure Obi-Wan out. “You aren’t any less important, okay? Kriff, Obi-Wan… I care about _both_ of you.”

“Would you be here if you didn’t know about the baby?” the older Jedi asks, a little sharply. “Would you have come back at all this week to finish our talk, knowing that she’s with child?” He knows the answer will break his heart even more… but at this point he doesn’t think it can really get any worse. He needs Anakin to see what he does, it will be better for both of them if Anakin leaves him alone.

Notably, he doesn’t argue the point that he needs Anakin. He can’t bear to tell anymore lies.

Anakin’s hesitation is telling.

A pained look crosses his eyes. “That isn’t fair.”

“I am not trying to be.” This time, he manages to pull his face away from Anakin without a fight. He turns away, jaw achingly tight to help himself look stronger than he feels right now. “Padme needs you, Anakin. I will be fine on my own.”

As he says that, however, Anakin reaches for one of his hands, holding it tight. There’s no hesitation this time as he speaks. “No.”

The younger man picks up on that phrasing immediately, noting that for once his Master isn’t claiming to be alright… he is practically admitting that he isn’t by saying he _will be_ fine. That, more than anything, convinces Anakin that his stubborn master needs help.

Obi-Wan stares at his hand as Anakin squeezes it tightly.

“Padme will be fine without me for a few hours, _she_ isn’t the one who locked herself in a room to cry,” Anakin presses, eyes boring into the older Jedi.

“I _didn’t_ \--”

“You did,” Anakin states matter-of-factly, realizing that he’s going to have to be the firm one here. “If you’re really worried for her, we can go check on her together, I’m sure she’d be very happy to see you. But I am _not_ leaving you right now. Maybe you don’t want to see me, but you need _someone_ , okay?” He pauses, concern really bleeding into his expression.

“… Master, I’ve only ever seen you cry _twice_ the entire 15 years I’ve known you. If you don’t want me here, I’ll… I’ll call Cody, or Painless, or whoever you would rather have… But I’m not leaving you alone right now, okay?” His very _soul_ rebels at the idea of calling someone else to take care of Obi-Wan… but he knows he’s karked up. He just wants his Master to be happy, so if he doesn’t want Anakin’s help… he’ll just have to suck it up and let Cody handle him.

... As much as he hates the thought of anyone but _him_ holding Obi-Wan through his tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So,,, I have an outtake from this chapter (cough mess cough) that might make you smile :')
> 
> **[Outtake]**
> 
> He [Obi-Wan] is at a loss for words for a second, and then he speaks, somehow keeping his voice steady as he shouts back. “I broke the lock because I don’t want to talk to you, Anakin!” He flinches as he feels another spike in the darkness outside his door. “You are being unreasonable! I will not speak to you when you are like this!”
> 
> His former padawan’s force signature prods at the broken lock, sensing what Obi-Wan did to it. “I’m unreasonable?! You crushed your door lock! It will take them over a day to repair this! How do you plan to eat?!”
> 
> “I have food stored here!” Sort of. He has tea.
> 
> “No, you don’t!” Anakin calls back, knowing from years of living with the man that he was the only one who ever kept the kitchenette stocked with anything. “You never think anything through!”
> 
> “… I have a window!”
> 
> The rage is to be expected. “Obi-Wan Kenobi if you jump out a window, you better hope the fall kills you because if it doesn’t, I will!”
> 
> Okay, so maybe he won’t be jumping out the window. It was tempting, though.
> 
> ...........
> 
> Comments and Kudos are always appreciated! I try to reply to every one <3


	9. A Cry for Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slower updates, but on the bright side I think I'm writing fast enough to still keep them going at one every two days from this point forward <3 Thank you all so much for hanging in there with me <3

The first time he saw Obi-Wan cry was after Qui-Gon died. While looking for his new caretaker for help trying to fall asleep in the strange new place, little 9 year old Ani found Obi-Wan in the ‘fresher, Qui-Gon’s lightsaber hilt in one hand, and his freshly cut padawan braid in the other hand. Back then, Anakin hadn’t fully understood what it meant… he hadn’t known the significance of the braid, that it meant Obi-Wan had been knighted… but had no Master to do this for him.

All he knew was that this kind, young, heroic man who promised to make him a Jedi was sad and hurting… so he did what his mother would do and hugged Obi-Wan. Anakin just wrapped his arms around him tight and muttered ‘it’ll be okay,’ over and over until the older man had gotten to his knees and hugged him back, holding him until they were both exhausted and drained.

After that, he never saw his Master cry again (at least not while he was his padawan). It had never really occurred to him that it was odd… He just came to think that Obi-Wan was a perfect Jedi, he was always calm, in command of himself, infuriatingly unflappable… unafraid of anything and untouchable both on the battlefield and emotionally. Of course Obi-Wan Kenobi never cried… he’s the best Jedi in the Order.

The second time Anakin saw him cry… was shocking, if only because after so many years of seeing his Master conceal every emotion, he’d come to believe that he was somehow _incapable_ of feeling anything so strongly. Which, was ridiculous of course… He’d seen it happen before, but it was still a shock.

It was also much more recent, and he remembers it with far more clarity.

The last time he saw Obi-Wan cry was after Satine died. His Master had barely been keeping it together when he came back. He got through his debriefing with the Council, managing to avoid a scolding because he’d happened across a Sith Lord to validate his presence on Mandalore. Then he promptly took a week of his accumulated vacation time, which he _never_ used. He must have months of it accumulated by now.

Anakin went to see him the first chance he had, only to find his Master a little drunk off wine in his rooms and sobbing his way to the bottom of a bottle. He hadn’t really known what to do with him then… but Obi-Wan clearly needed _someone_ , so he stayed, helped him finish the bottle, and let his Master drunkenly ramble about stories from his year on Mandalore that he would never have told if he was sober. He’d fallen asleep leaning on Anakin, mumbling about how thankful he was that his old Padawan cared enough to check up on him.

Anakin had to ship out the next day, but he suspects that Obi-Wan spent most of his week of vacation decidedly not sober.

Not that he will ever know, however, because his Master refuses to acknowledge that it ever happened, always deflecting whenever Anakin tries to bring it up. As much as Kenobi would like him to forget about it however, he simply can’t do so. It had been a shock to realize that Always-Perfect, Council’s poster-boy, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi… isn’t invulnerable.

It had driven him to the point of asking anyone he had the courage to pester about it if they’d ever seen him cry before. Unsurprisingly, most of them said no.

 _Surprisingly_ , three people had said yes.

Dex, apparently, had known Obi-Wan since he was knee-high. Apparently he’d seen many of the Jedi’s tears. Whenever he’d gotten in a disagreement with Qui-Gon, whenever he messed something up and was sure he'd fail and would never make a good Jedi, whenever he’d come back from a particularly bad mission… he told Anakin about one in particular, a mission on Melida/Daan, where Obi-Wan, at the ripe old age of 14, had gotten himself involved in a civil war.

All the old Besalesk knew was that Qui-Gon had abandoned him in the thick of it, and left the boy when he refused to abandon The Young to their war. He’d helped them fight and even win, only for there to be a power struggle that ended in the death of one of the leaders, a girl he’d fallen in love with; Cerasi. Dex had felt bad enough for the emotionally-scarred boy that he’d snuck him some Corellian brandy to help him forget for the night.

The second person to see Obi-Wan cry had, shockingly, been _Rex._

With much reluctance, his Captain had admitted that though he never saw it in person… he’d heard General Kenobi cry himself to sleep on several occasions during the mission to Zygerria. He never let anyone see it… but Rex knew that seeing all that suffering and being completely unable to help had worn the kindhearted Jedi down.

Anakin regrets that he never tried to address what happened during that mission with Obi-Wan… as a former slave, he knew better than anyone how horrible and isolating it can be… he should have known to ask. He could have _helped_.

The last person to see Obi-Wan cry really shouldn’t have surprised him. He’d gotten the story out of Commander Cody at 76’s one time, when Rex had dragged him there on a rare night off. They were a little drunk, and Cody was in the mood to brag about his General, wanting to trade stories about him with Skywalker. As they talked about Obi-Wan together, the question came up from another clone trooper, actually.

Not all of the clones like their Jedi so much, after all. Force knows Rex can’t stand Anakin a third of the time. It’s well-known too, that Cody is a hard man to impress. So what made Obi-Wan so damn special, right?

The Battle-hardened Commander had gotten a little distant look before he told the eager listeners about the first battle he ever fought with Obi-Wan. The Jedi had gotten it right from the start, asking for each clone’s chosen names, and doing his best to remember them. That in itself was endearing, but not enough to totally earn his respect. But then he’d fought by the man’s side, and, he was phenomenal. Not only was he a graceful, powerful fighter, but he was constantly aware of the men around him, and never forgot that he was still leading an army as he fought his way through the droids. Cody immediately knew the man had seen war before, which is when Anakin cut in to mention he knew Obi-Wan had, he’d helped win a civil war when he was 14. That amazed Commander Cody, who demanded that Anakin would tell him the whole story when he finished his.

Once his interruption was over, Cody continued, saying that it hadn’t even been the battle that truly earned Obi-Wan his undying respect.

It was after, once the fighting was over, the battle won. It was a hard victory, but a victory nonetheless. They’d lost 29 men. Cody had expected that they’d just burn the bodies… what he hadn’t expected was that Obi-Wan himself would be out on the battlefield, helping find and carry back their fallen brothers. Obi-Wan, who’d taken a few grazes from blaster fire himself and probably needed a medic, was carrying two men at a time, laying each carefully in a line.

Kenobi had begun doing it himself, but the 212th had quickly joined him, until every fallen brother was laid on their backs, helmets off so their faces could be seen, eyes closed and looking peaceful. And then, General Kenobi had sat down, encouraging his troops to do the same in the dying light of day. He thanked the dead men for their sacrifice, by name if he had met them, and apologized that he hadn’t had time to know them better. Then, he’d asked his men to share stories, to tell him the men’s names that he hadn’t known if they could.

The 212th took to the exercise with gusto, each of them sharing stories about their fallen brothers, helping their new General get to know the lost men (and themselves) as they did. Cody, the only soldier who dared to sit near the General, had noticed him crying about halfway through this. He was good at hiding it, from afar and in the dark most of the men would likely never see it.

And _that,_ that undeniable proof that this Jedi saw them as people, as more than just soldiers, seeing that he mourned their deaths… that was when Kenobi earned Cody’s respect and loyalty. It has become a tradition in the 212th to do this after any hard victory. And if they couldn’t, they found other ways to honor the men they’d lost, without their bodies to burn.

Anakin knows of course, he was still Obi-Wan’s padawan for a few of those battles. He’d assumed it was standard amongst the clones; his 501st had adopted the tradition. It keeps morale up, keeps his men fighting harder than any other battalion (besides the 212th, obviously). He hadn’t known his Master started it.

He hadn’t ever seen Obi-Wan cry during one before.

One thing about each of these stories glaringly stands out to him. When each of these people had seen his Master cry… None of them, not even Dex had mentioned giving Obi-Wan any kind of physical comfort. Of the times Anakin has known that Obi-Wan weeped… only _he_ has been allowed to hold him through it. Twice.

That has to mean something, right?

...

Apparently it does. Obi-Wan is stubbornly quiet for what feels like forever… and then he simply ceases to fight, sagging like a puppet with cut strings. He lets the wall support his weight, leaning his temple against it like he needs to feel the cool durasteel against his skin.

“I still don’t want to talk,” the ginger says quietly, but there isn’t any bite to his words this time. “Not yet.”

“I can wait until you’re ready,” Anakin states, relieved that he isn’t being kicked out. “Can I hold you?” The question comes out more unsure than he would like, which probably helps his case.

It takes a while for Obi-Wan to respond again, eyes closed as he wavers indecisively.

“… If you want.”

Anakin is about to just take the invitation, before he reconsiders the phrasing and frowns. This… this isn’t about what _he_ wants right now. Obi-Wan is hurting, and the last thing Anakin wants to do is hurt him more by forcing anything he isn’t ready for on him.

“Master, let me rephrase. Do _you_ want to be held?”

The answer comes a bit quicker this time, a little surprise and, oddly, _guilt_ crossing his expression. “Please,” he almost whispers, and then Anakin is there, tugging Obi-Wan close to his side and letting the smaller man just melt against him as he finally allows himself to cry without restraint.

It’s not like the last two times… then, Anakin had been an external force, he’d been a friend that came to help when Obi-Wan was at his lowest. When Obi-Wan had cried on his shoulder, even then he had held a part of himself back, had been reluctant to share all of his pain with someone who was in no way responsible for it.

But now… it’s different. Obi-Wan practically falls apart, as if he doesn’t have the strength to hold anything back anymore. Anakin knows he has to be the source of all this, knows that it’s been a longer time coming than he would like to admit. Still, the evidence of it in the way Obi-Wan presses his face into the dark fabric of his tunic and _sobs_ , wordless and miserable… it has Anakin feeling close to tears himself.

He did this. He hurt Obi-Wan, over and over, for years… He never meant to, but that doesn’t make it better.

He does what he can, pulling Obi-Wan into his lap when he feels like the older Jedi won’t run away from him anymore. As someone who has cried… a lot, in his life… at least he isn’t at a total loss for what to do here. His hands go to the ginger’s back, rubbing it soothingly because he knows that as a Jedi especially, physical comforts are rare and therefore more meaningful.

It feels wrong to say ‘it’s gonna be okay’, especially considering he’s the one who did this to the other man. It would sound meaningless and ingenuine, so he doesn’t say it.

Instead he presses light kisses against the older Jedi’s hair, finding more honest things to whisper to him. “I’m sorry,” is one of them, along with “it’s okay to cry,” both of which cause Obi-Wan to relax more willingly into his arms, fighting his emotions less and less. But it’s not enough, and Anakin has more truths to tell his Master.

“I love you,” is whispered, and then he can’t stop saying it, over and over so that Obi-Wan will eventually believe him. Soon after is “you’re important,” and “you deserve better,” and he combats Obi-Wan’s quiet protests to all of these by holding him closer and hushing him until he listens.

When Obi-Wan finally runs out of tears, Anakin half-expects a lecture on attachment, but nothing comes. The older Jedi is silent in his arms, save for the odd small sniff or tiny sigh.

He waits for him to speak… and waits… and waits.

It takes an embarrassingly long time for him to realize that Obi-Wan has fallen asleep in his arms.

When he does, the Jedi knight allows himself a small laugh, and he rearranges his Master into a more comfortable position. No sense in waking him up… and he’s not sure he could manage to move away without doing so.

After spending a moment wondering what to do, he activates the commlink on his wrist, dialing Padme. She’ll know what to do… she always does.

“You’ll come back right after, huh?” She greets him, sounding more amused than upset. She’s used to plans changing last minute with Anakin. “What happened this time?”

Obi-Wan stirs a little in Anakin’s arms, and the younger Jedi winces slightly. “Uh,” he starts in a quiet voice, “I need your help with something, but, keep your voice down, he’s asleep now and I don’t wanna wake him up.”

The senator looks confused and wishes she could see more than just his face in the holo. “Who is?” she asks, voice hushed like he requested. “I thought you were in a Council meeting…”

“I _was_ …” He starts, glancing apologetically at his sleeping companion. He feels like he should let Obi-Wan tell her himself… but there’s no way this is staying secret anyways, and he can’t get her advice without telling her the crux of the issue. “It’s Obi-Wan. Just… don’t freak out, okay? I really don’t wanna wake him up. The Council meeting was about him... They wanted my opinion on whether he should stay in the war or not.” He starts, dancing around the subject a bit awkwardly. “I found out what Obi-Wan was hiding from me… they told me.”

Padme looks even more confused, and then worried. “Is he okay? Why wouldn’t he stay in the war…? Is he critically ill?”

How did she- Anakin shakes his head, giving a nervous laugh. “No, he- he’s alright. I mean, well, he’s not alright, he’s kind of a mess right now…”

“ _Obi-Wan_ , a mess?” she asks incredulously, “Ani, what’s going on?”

The sleeping Jedi twitches again as she raises her voice a bit. Anakin holds his breath, waiting for him to settle. “Okay, um… You know when I told you about the moon pollen stuff? It uh… It turns out that he got pregnant…” Anakin trails off, praying to every god he knows of that she won’t take it poorly.

She knows about Obi-Wan’s physiology, Anakin mentioned it to her when he told her what happened on Jimyalia’s 5th moon. She actually knew before that, admitting that Obi-Wan had come to her once in search of tips for making his period ‘less of a distraction’, as he had put it.

So, when he tells her that, she’s shocked… but she knew it was a possibility.

It still takes most of her self-control to remember that the man is asleep, and she needs to keep her voice down. “Oh, Ani… and he didn’t want to tell you? Why? What happened?” She prides herself on how calm she manages to sound.

At the questions, Anakin averts his eyes, ashamed. “It’s my own fault, really… Rex was right… he knew I was hiding things from him. What’s more, Obi-Wan already knew about you and I… he saw us kiss on Geonosis. He’s known the _entire time_ , and he was waiting for me to tell him myself… and I never did.” He fixes his gaze on the ginger in his arms, regret in his eyes. When he looks back up to Padme a moment later, he releases a worried sigh. “I think he _did_ want to tell me, but not while I was still keeping secrets from him… and… well… he didn’t exactly say so, but I think he wanted to handle this on his own in part because he doesn’t want to interfere with our relationship…”

Padme’s eyes soften empathetically for the other Jedi as she listens. She’s always known Obi-Wan to try so hard to please everyone… so much so that he tends to forget he’s only human and can only take so much.

In short, that sounds exactly like Obi-Wan. “And you told him that’s insane, right?” she says, eyeing her husband pointedly. “He’s practically already family to both of us, he had to know I wouldn’t be upset, or— _jealous_ , gods forbid— about something that is entirely out of his control. In fact, if you’re asking me, this is good news. Now I have reason and opportunity to ceaselessly bother him for help figuring out how to be a parent.”

It’s a huge relief to hear Padme say that. To hear her accepting Obi-Wan as part of their family right away… it means the galaxy to Anakin, and he just _knows_ it will to his Master too.

“I… well, mostly, yeah. I think I broke him, though.” He runs a gentle hand affectionately through his former Master’s hair. “I made him cry, Padme… I didn’t… I never thought I could upset him like this. I didn’t mean to get so angry at him for hiding it, but he _put himself in danger_ … he knew he was pregnant, and he didn’t _leave_ the mission.” It takes a lot to keep his voice soft. The thought still upsets him… but after seeing how much he scared Obi-Wan with his anger; it doesn’t dare return.

“I don’t know what to do with him now,” he states when Padme doesn’t immediately have a response. “You need me too, but I can’t just leave him alone, either. Especially not after I destroyed his door.”

That gets a reaction from Padme. “You destroyed his—Ani what did you _do?_ ”

“He locked me out,” her husband answers defensively. “He broke the door first. It would have taken over a day to have the opening mechanism repaired. So, I cut my way in.”

Well, no wonder Obi-Wan is a mess. That had to be traumatic. Padme gives Anakin a slightly judgmental look, which he responds to with an adorably apologetic smile and a shrug to match.

She massages the bridge of her nose. He can be such a child, sometimes. “I’d say that I’ll be fine here if you want to stay with him for a while… but I think it’d be good if all of us talked once he’s awake again. So, why don’t you bring him to my apartments, okay? He can stay in the guest room until his room is fixed, at least.” He can stay longer, of course, but Padme doubts that he’ll want to.

“That’s a good idea,” Anakin sighs, regarding Obi-Wan briefly and wondering how he’s gonna get the sleeping Jedi out of the temple without him waking up. “Thank you,” he looks back up at her, expression open and earnest, “I’ll get the two of us to you as quickly as I can, okay? Love you, Angel.”

“Oh no,” she says sternly, “no ‘love yous’ until I’ve had a chance to set you straight for scaring poor Obi-Wan. That man has been a gods-send for both of us and you made him cry himself to sleep? Shame on you, Ani.” He didn’t exactly say that’s what happened… but Padme isn’t stupid. She can put two and two together.

His ashamed look is confirmation enough. “… I definitely deserve that. I love you anyways, Padme. I’ll see you soon.”

He cuts the call then, probably trying to avoid being chewed out any further.

Padme Sighs. What is she going to do with that husband of hers?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [waves hand]
> 
>  _You **want** to leave me a comment._ ;)


	10. To kidnap a Jedi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the long wait guys!!! I got distracted with a few one-shots, plus I write scenes out of order and there was just this gap that was refusing to close...
> 
> but I have quite a bit written ahead again so here's a longer chapter to hopefully make up for it!!! I'm really sorry again guys!

Sneaking out of the Jedi Temple with an unconscious body is… difficult.

And putting it that way makes it sound way worse than it actually is.

By some miracle, Anakin managed to get Obi-Wan out of his room without waking him up. He had to use the Force to keep the man cushioned so he wouldn’t notice the motion as much. It probably helps that Obi-Wan is used to sometimes having to sleep through battles on his ship, so he’s no stranger to a little turbulence— Or perhaps his sheer exhaustion both mentally and physically may play a role.

He’ll have to come back to get Obi-Wan some changes of clothes later… because there’s no way he’ll be able to do this while also carrying tunics. Obi-Wan may be short, but he’s densely muscled, and it’s pretty awkward to carry a full-grown man who weighs nearly as much as himself. It’s even more awkward to do it without waking him up.

At least his dozing Master isn’t completely uncooperative. He’s fairly content to tuck his head against Anakin’s chest and hold onto the front of his tunics while he sleeps, which works well with the way he’s being carried, almost bridal style but not quite.

The pair get a few strange looks, but none of the padawans and younger knights comment on it. Most of them probably think he’s taking Obi-Wan to Master Nema or Che. They can think whatever they want to, so long as no one bothers him.

Thankfully, no one does… until he’s nearly reached the speeder bay. He runs into Ahsoka there, and her eyes go wide when she sees Anakin carrying Master Kenobi. The young Togruta jogs up to him as he continues towards the bay, meeting him halfway with confusion written all over her face.

“Skyguy?” She starts, walking backwards in front of him when she sees he doesn’t plan to stop. “Uh… I heard some stuff from Master Plo, and I felt you get really angry earlier… what’s going on with Master Kenobi?” Worry flashes through her eyes as she sees Obi-Wan’s face flicker a little in his sleep. “Is he okay?”

At least she doesn’t sound like she’s accusing him of anything. Anakin sighs, stopping finally to look his worried padawan over. He keeps his voice low and hopes that going still again will soothe his Master back to sleep. “He’s fine, Snips. A little worn out, but he’ll be okay. I’m taking him to Padme’s so he can rest up there, since his rooms aren’t exactly private or secure. I… kinda ruined his door.”

“What’d you do to his door, Master?” She asks, hands going to her hips. She must’ve adopted that expression from Padme, because it instantly makes him feel guilty.

“Something I’m sure the Council will yell at me about later,” Anakin answers with a sigh. “He broke the door to lock me out, so I… used my saber to cut my way in. In my defense, he was being really stupid.”

The young Togruta shakes her head incredulously. “Mace is gonna pop a vein when he finds out.”

“Get a holoscan of it for me?” He requests cheekily, earning a poke on the shoulder from her.

“It’s not a joke, Master! Destruction of temple property is a serious offense!”

“What are they gonna do, Snips? Put me on library duty for a month? In the middle of a war? As if.” He snorts, but the smile falls from his face as he sees Mace round the corner at the opposite end of the hall.

The Council member was obviously looking for him because his eyes lock onto Anakin the second he spots him, and he quickens his pace.

“Ah- and, time for me to go, my padawan.” He says, throwing Ahsoka an apologetic look as he hurries the rest of the way towards the speeder bay.

“What--” Ahsoka starts but is cut off by a bellow from behind her.

“ _Skywalker!_ ”

“Oh,” Ahsoka shakes her head, turning around to watch.

“See ya, snips!” Anakin calls over his shoulder, ducking into the bay entry.

Obi-Wan is jolted half-awake by the commotion, lifting his head and blinking blearily. “Anakin…? Wha-?”

“It’s nothing, go back to _sleep_ , Master,” the Jedi knight tells him, a force suggestion layered into the command. It wouldn’t normally work on a mind like Kenobi’s, but the man is emotionally drained and disoriented, and halfway there anyways, so it does.

The older Jedi drifts off once again, sleeping a bit more deeply now than before.

Ahsoka shakes her head at the scene. She would normally help Anakin with his shenanigans… but Master Windu seems furious, so her teacher is on his own for this one.

“ _Skywalker!_ ” the korun bellows again, “don’t you _dare_ walk away from me! What are you doing with Kenobi and where do you think you’re going?!”

Anakin gets Obi-Wan into his speeder with no issue. The older Jedi is basically dead to the world at this point, undisturbed by the noise and motion thanks to Anakin’s force suggestion. He has the blue-and-yellow painted vehicle on before he’s even properly fastened. No time to waste, not when Mace has just entered the bay.

“ _SKYWALKER!!”_

Anakin throws the transmission into forward position, tossing a grin over his shoulder. “What’s that, Master?! Can’t hear you!”

Ahsoka is following behind, seeming far too entertained.

For his part, Mace really is making a valiant effort to reach him in time to stop him. He’ll be too late, though.

“Sorry, I’m a rush! I’ll have to call you later!” the Jedi Knight calls, eyes dancing with amusement. He tears off then, the engine of his speeder only mildly protesting at the strain he puts on it.

With an amused shake of her head, Ahsoka watches the speeder tear off with her two teachers in it. Mace teaches her a few new curses— she’ll ask Master Kenobi to define some of the more interesting sounding ones later.

She quietly hopes that her grand-master will be okay, he looked a bit worse for wear.

“Where are they going?” Mace rounds on her suddenly, making the young padawan freeze.

Anakin had said Padme’s apartments, but she can’t tell Master Windu that. “Uh… I don’t…”

At her flustered response, the korun eases up, looking apologetic. “Of course you don’t know. I’m sorry to sound as if I was accusing you, padawan Tano. You don’t have any idea where Skywalker goes on his vacations?”

She has _some_ idea. The Togruta shakes her head. “It’s usually me he needs a vacation from, Master Windu.”

Mace only gives a slightly frustrated hum. “Did he say anything to you about Obi-Wan? Why he’s taking him out of the temple?”

Well, at least she can be mostly honest on this one. “He said Master Kenobi was okay, he’s just tired, but Master Skywalker didn’t want to leave him alone in his rooms since his room was… um… compromised.”

The derisive snort Mace gives her says he knows what happened to Obi-Wan’s door.

“Alright, Padawan Tano. Thank you for your help… if he contacts you, would you let one of the Council know?”

“Of course, Master Windu.”

. . .

When Obi-Wan wakes, it is to soft voices.

He vaguely recognizes them, and he thinks they’re arguing. As he tries to put a name to his mystery company, he looks around at his distinctly _unfamiliar_ surroundings. He’s in a bed far nicer than any of the beds he’s ever slept in. It isn’t _his_ bed, and that’s probably the important bit. He’s fairly certain he fell asleep in his bed.

In _Anakin’s_ arms, no less.

That reminder makes him sit up— more alert and awake. Little gods, he cried himself to sleep in Anakin’s arms, what was he thinking? What kind of example did that set? How could he show such weakness… what sort of things must Anakin think of him?

 _Hypocrite_ is the first that comes to mind.

As panic starts to set in, his battle instincts kick into gear and he observes his surroundings with a closer eye. A transparisteel window takes up the entirety of one wall, showing him that he is still on Coruscant. The room is richly furnished; the owner must be wealthy, or the guest of someone who is. He can catch sight of various parts of extravagantly rich clothing all carefully laid out across the room’s vanity and what he can see of the inside of the large walk-in closet.

He recognizes the ornate style of clothing, and that paired with the very short list of wealthy Nubians Anakin knows well enough to be comfortable with bringing Obi-Wan to their apartments is enough for him to deduce that he’s in Senator Amidala’s bed…

At least, he’s fairly certain Chancellor Palpatine doesn’t use quite so much makeup.

That realization adds a whole new layer to his anxiety. Padme must know; he’s sure Anakin told her— _he tells her everything he won’t tell you—_ and he’s not sure how he can possibly face her.

She’s Anakin’s—his _wife_ … and she is pregnant as well… she must have such a low opinion of him. How can he possibly even think to intrude on what she has with Anakin? By choice or no.

He should have held out against Anakin on that Force-forsaken planet. If he had been just a bit stronger, if he’d resisted temptation, he’d not be in this mess right now.

It becomes hard to breathe again, his chest constricting with emotion. The cheerfully bright lights of the city outside mock him, so he blocks them out. His head finds itself once more in his hands, and it takes what little strength he has left not to resume his earlier crying.

The voices— which he assumes are Anakin and Padme— haven’t ceased their hushed argument in the next room, so they must not have noticed that he’s awoken yet. He’d like to keep it that way.

He just— he needs a moment to collect himself. Then he can apologize to Padme for the intrusion… he can assure her that he has no intention to get between her and her husband…

Then he can leave.

The heels of his palms press harder against his eyes, as if he need only apply enough pressure and he can keep all his tears from escaping.

A sniffle and a shaky breath escape him, and it’s too loud in the silence of the room.

The voices on the other side of the wall fall silent, and his heart seizes with irrational fear. He is out of time to collect himself.

Obi-Wan manages to get his hands away from his face before the room’s door hisses open and a head pokes inside to check on him. It’s not Anakin’s, which is perhaps the reason his words die on his tongue before he can say anything.

He stares, Padme stares back.

The Senator looks worried and gives him a quick once-over before heading the rest of the way into the room. Padme’s arm stretches out to stop Anakin from following her, and then the door hisses shut behind her.

“I’m-”

“- Sorry,”

Both of them speak at once, then meet each other’s eyes.

Obi-Wan breaks the uncomfortable silence with a watery sort of laugh. “… what could you possibly have to be sorry for, Padme?”

“I could ask you the same,” Naboo’s senator responds readily, giving him a long look before walking over with a quiet sigh. “I’m sorry we hid our relationship from you. Anakin and I should have known we could trust you; you’ve always been so kind.” Her words ring true, and there appears to be genuine regret in her eyes. “I wish we told you sooner, I never liked keeping you on the outside, Obi-Wan, I hope you know that.”

Her words ease something inside him in a way that Anakin’s hadn’t. He knows why Anakin hid from him… and he had worried that Padme just didn’t want to tell him because she didn’t want him involved… it’s good to know he was wrong, and that his friendship with the Senator is genuine. Hearing that she _wants_ him to know is a relief.

“I don’t hold either of you in contempt,” he says gently, diplomatically. “I know why you hid your relationship, even from me, and I understand your need for secrecy. You owe me no apology, Senator.”

She reaches the bed then, taking a seat at the edge of it and reaching for his hand with warm eyes. “I do, but I am grateful for your forgiveness. And if you can find it in yourself to forgive me this, I’m sure that I won’t find fault with whatever nonsense you’ve decided you need to apologize for.”

That brings back his watery laugh. Obi-Wan lets her hold his hand, reaching up to wipe his eyes with his free one. The Jedi’s eyes stay on their hands rather than lifting to meet hers. “Anakin has told you of my condition, I suppose.”

“He has,” Padme confirms gently.

The lack of judgement in her tone helps him to carry on. “I… I am sorry for…” He struggles to find a way to phrase his thoughts, “for… leading him to believe I can’t handle this without him. I- I can. I don’t mean to intrude on your marriage,” he pauses, “or your family.” It is a rare moment when The Negotiator struggles to find words. Equally as rare as it is for a respected Jedi Master on the Council to be choked with emotion.

It takes a moment for Obi-Wan to collect himself enough to continue, appearing as unaffected as he can. “I had a moment of weakness… but I do not belong here. I’ll set Anakin straight and I won’t intrude in your home any longer.”

Padme only doesn’t interrupt out of a loss of words. Little gods, Obi-Wan is worse than Anakin told her.

For a moment, she considers how wise it would be to ask a Master Jedi if he’s an idiot.

She decides against it, only because she doesn’t want to lower Obi-Wan’s self-esteem any more than it already is. “Master Kenobi,” she starts with a sternness she learned during her years serving as Naboo’s queen, “You are a _guest_ , not an intruder. In fact, no, you aren’t even just a guest. You’re practically family, Obi-Wan, and you are _always_ welcome here.”

The Jedi looks skeptical of that. “I--”

She grips his hand tighter, silently begging him to see sense as she interrupts his protests. “Obi-Wan. I know this situation wasn’t your choice, and I know it’s not ideal… but Anakin and I are happy to make you a part of our family, if you’ll accept us.”

There’s a long pause as Obi-Wan struggles with how to respond. After a moment, his expression goes hard and stubborn. “You know I can’t, Padme. Anakin and I are Jedi, and while I am willing to overlook his relationship with you because I believe it causes him no harm; I cannot do the same. I will always be happy to help you both and your family, but I cannot be part of it.”

“That’s--” Padme cuts herself off before she can call him _ridiculous_ , even though that is what he’s being. She and Anakin already talked about this… they know there will be resistance, and it may take Obi-Wan some time to really consider what they are proposing. “… I’d like you to reconsider, but you don’t have to now,” she instead says, her tone diplomatic and firm. “For now, Anakin told me he damaged your door, so will you at least stay here until that is fixed?”

The hope in her tone is devastating. Obi-Wan falters, his resolution to refuse any offers she makes and leave offset by the reasonable request. There is a gaping hole in his door, and although the Temple is as safe as any place can be… it will be unpleasant to sleep and change and eat in an apartment that offers little to no privacy from the hallway. He would rather not have to squeeze into his refresher just to be sure no one can catch him changing.

His hesitation is long, but he eventually nods, conceding with a small sigh. In truth, he doesn’t really _want_ to go back and be alone… and he thinks she knows that. “… I suppose I can accept your hospitality until then,” Obi-Wan smiles a bit wryly, “considering it _is_ Anakin’s doing.”

Padme brings a hand to her temple, shaking her head. “I still can’t believe he did that.”

“It’s Anakin.” Obi-Wan replies, as if that explains everything. Really, it does.

Padme shakes her head. It’s not a disagreement.

“He’s waiting outside?” Obi-Wan asks, with perhaps a touch of exasperation in his voice.

“He is,” Padme confirms, but continues before the Jedi can speak. “If you’re not ready to deal with him right now, it’s okay, Obi-Wan. I can tell him you need more rest.”

Kenobi appears to consider it. He actually throws the tousled pillows a longing glance, but when he faces Padme again, he shakes his head. “Best not to keep Anakin waiting.” The smile he gives her is wry, and not particularly reassuring. “I have a little over 12 years of experience dealing with Anakin, after all. I’d _hope_ I’m ready.”

The Senator isn’t really convinced, but she won’t presume to know Obi-Wan’s own readiness better than he does. In any case, she doesn’t intend to leave, and if it looks like Anakin is stressing their friend out too much, she’ll happily intervene. “Alright, I’ll let him in then.” She stands in a smooth, fluid motion from the bed, heading for the door.

It swooshes open as she draws near, revealing Anakin pacing back and forth on the other side. He has some scraps of metal in his hands, and he appears focused on fitting them together. The two people who know him best, however, can tell that it’s merely a distraction from him over-worrying.

Obi-Wan doesn’t get up from the bed, deciding that as long as it seems he’s welcome to enjoy the comfort, he will.

When Anakin hears the hiss of the door opening, his head snaps to Padme, and then his eyes look past her to Obi-Wan. “Good morning— or, not _morning_ I guess— I hope you slept well?”

Kenobi can’t help the soft smile that makes its way to his face at his former Padawan’s fumbling words. “… Well enough for you to carry me halfway across Coruscant without me noticing,” he points out.

The younger Jedi rubs the back of his neck with the cold durasteel of his ungloved mechno-hand. “… Uh, yeah, sorry about that. I wasn’t sure what else to do; we all need to talk, and you really need rest.”

“Well, you _are_ right that we need to talk,” Obi-Wan allows. In his opinion, the resting is optional. He’s been sleeping better anyways— the visions of his daughter keeping his nightmares at bay. And if he’s survived the war this long without even half the sleep he’s getting now, he’s sure that a baby in its earliest stages won’t make _that_ much of a difference.

Before her husband can latch onto the unsaid point and start an argument, Padme intervenes. “Anakin has something he needs to say.”

Anakin, thankfully, recognizes the need to stay on track, and just nods earnestly, coming further into the room. “Yeah. Padme and I talked already, about how all this affects our relationship… about where we want to go from here. And we decided, it doesn’t really change a whole lot. I love Padme, she loves me, and both of us love you, Obi-Wan. So, whatever _you_ want… however you’re comfortable fitting into our family, we’re happy to have you, okay?”

To support his point, Padme comes up to his side, taking his hand and nodding at Obi-Wan. “Like I said, Master Kenobi… you are family to us already. Whatever you want, we’re happy to accommodate.”

And then they wait, holding their breath.

Obi-Wan seems overwhelmed. He thought there would probably be more back-and-forth. He expected some more small talk before they just… went right to the point. But, it seems, Padme Amidala isn’t the kind for _langue de bois_. And, she has a remarkable talent for keeping Anakin focused on the current task.

He appreciates it almost as much as he is put off-kilter by it.

The offer takes a moment to process in his head. Before he can think better of it, he clarifies, “whatever I want?” The Jedi Master thinks perhaps it was an intentional tactic of theirs to catch him so off-guard; to keep him from fully thinking through his words before he responds.

Not too different in strategy from Anakin’s preferred Djem So, really.

Anakin nods enthusiastically, tugging Padme closer to the bed so he can take one of Obi-Wan’s hands too. “Yeah. What _do_ you want, Master?”

It is that word— _Master_ — which breaks the spell. He can’t. Not only is Anakin spoken for, he is _his student_. Not for several years now, but it is still highly inappropriate. They are brothers and can be nothing more.

As if sensing his distress, Padme takes his unoccupied hand, making a circle between the three of them. “We mean it, Obi-Wan. Even before all this, I hoped you would be an uncle; a second father to my child. If you want more, if you would let me be a mother to your child, I want that too.”

Padme’s insistence does more to tear down his feeble defenses than Anakin’s ever could. He worried he’d be an outsider, an intruder to Padme’s marriage. He worried that she would shun him, hate him for his mistake and his weakness. To hear her acceptance of him…

It warms his heart.

And yet still, he can’t say the words he wants to say. They won’t leave his throat. He wants, _wants_ , more than anything he’s ever wanted before… he wants to be theirs, _both_ of theirs.

“I… do not know what I want,” he lies. Obi-Wan wishes he could take his hands back; he doesn’t deserve them, but it would be rude to pull away now.

If Anakin is disappointed, he doesn’t show it. He just squeezes his old Master’s hand encouragingly.

Padme is the one who speaks, tone optimistic and warm. “You have plenty of time to figure it out; neither of our children are due for several months.”

And, oh, that reminder isn’t very good at all. There’s little chance of him going back to the front lines now… which means he has months of report filing and busywork to look forward to.

“Yeah, no rush, Obi-Wan,” Anakin agrees, still smiling at him. It’s an easy, carefree sort of smile that he rarely sees on the battlefield or at the temple.

A sneaking voice in the back of his head tells him that he could see it more often if he just let Anakin and Padme love him but…

He can’t.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is destined for infinite sadness, and he is unwilling to drag anyone else down that path with him.

He’s already destroyed Satine’s life, everything she worked for is lost… all because of him. Because he didn’t properly kill the bastard that took his Master. Because he let the Council stop him from _hunting_ Maul down before he could cause more pain and ruin.

And he _still_ hasn’t ended that monster’s life.

The thought of Maul coming for Anakin or Padme too…

It fills his heart with an icy fear.

The Jedi is distracted from his thoughts when Padme lets go of his hand and pats the back of it gently. Good thing, too, he can feel a tremble building up from the base of his spine.

Her kind voice is just the distraction he needs. “We are going to have quite a time figuring out this pregnancy thing together, Obi-Wan.” Even her mischief-filled smile is blinding, and Obi-Wan understands why Anakin describes her as an angel. Truly, Padme Amidala is a creature of unrivaled beauty— _He_ can’t even begin to compare.

“I imagine so,” he agrees weakly.

She puts her free hand up by her face in a mock-attempt as hiding her words from Anakin. “I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to having Anakin at my beck and call for whatever I want. He _has_ to do what I say now.”

A smile finds its way to Obi-Wan’s face as he hears that. “Oh, as nice as that would be, I don’t doubt Anakin’s ability to disregard everything I tell him to do, no matter the situation.”

“Hey,” Anakin protests, drawing laughs from both of them, “I listen to you.”

“ _Selectively_ ,” Obi-Wan agrees.

Padme covers her mouth to laugh, and Anakin tosses her a betrayed look. “ _What_?” she asks between giggles. “He’s _right_. I love you Ani; but a good listener, you are not.”

The younger of the two Jedi rolls his eyes, standing and dropping both their hands. “You have me outnumbered; I see.” He responds, shaking his head a little but not seeming mad. He’s just glad that Padme and Obi-Wan are getting along about this.

Obi-Wan is glad too—the easy banter pushes his darker thoughts to the back of his mind.

After a pause, Anakin turns his gaze on his former Master and changes the subject. “I’m glad you seem to be feeling better. I need to go catch the council up to speed, they still think I kidnapped you-”

“- You did,” Obi-Wan points out, amused.

“Not for nefarious reasons!” Anakin insists, flushing slightly. “Anyways, they need to know you’re safe and you’re not gonna be back for a little while so, I’m gonna go tell them now. Can I bring the comm in here so you can talk to them?”

“To show them proof of life before they accept your ransom demands, you mean?” Obi-Wan asks, eyes flashing with his amusement. At Anakin’s exasperated look, he relents his teasing. “Yes, of course Anakin, I’ll let them know I’m choosing to stay a while, and I promise I won’t give away our hiding spot.”

“Thank you,” Anakin says, smiling a little too, now, “for being such a cooperative hostage.”

“I must have quite a case of Stockholm syndrome,” Obi-Wan states dryly.

Padme can’t quite help the laugh that leaves her. “Gods, do you two even know how you sound?”

At the twin looks of confusion, she laughs again. “You bicker like an old married couple! – It’s very cute,” she is quick to assure them, gleeful amusement on her face.

After a stunned second, Anakin gives a shake of his head. “… Right. Going now.”

Obi-Wan likewise awkwardly runs a hand through his hair. “And I’ll… well, might I make us some tea, Senator?”

“That would be lovely,” she says, “and please Obi-Wan, you are family. In the privacy of my home, Padme is just fine.”

His hand falls to rub at the back of his neck, and he watches Anakin slip away to make his call. “Of course, Padme. Apologies for my rudeness.”

He was half-hoping he could still use titles to help… keep himself at a distance. Stop himself from becoming too _familiar_ , too close. He can’t stay, he shouldn’t allow himself to get used to this, to being _family_. He is going to have and nurse his child, and he will give her to the creche once she is weaned, and then things will go back to their usual pace.

Assuming everything goes according to plan— a plan which, it seems, Anakin and Padme are determined to derail.

“Please; I doubt you have ever been rude in your life,” Padme teases, using her grip on his hand to pull him out of the bed. “Come, I’ll show you to the kitchen. I think you’ll like the options I have, they’re certainly better than whatever you have in the mess. Anakin complains about the bland food options _constantly_.”

Obi-Wan smiles at the idle conversation as he follows her. “Perhaps you’ll have something I haven’t tried; but I do actually get quite lucky when it comes to tea. I _believe_ I have quite mastered the art of slipping in my love for tea into my negotiations.” He states, in a secretive—nearly apologetic tone. “Senators and royals do love sending me gifts when I solve their problems, so I just… tip them off prematurely as for what to send. I have quite the collection. Jedi aren’t supposed to be materialistic, but…” He gestures helplessly. “If they’re going to give me things regardless, might as well be something I’ll use?”

Padme covers her mouth, attempting not to laugh. “How very forward-thinking of you, oh _Negotiator_.”

“Yes, I thought so too,” He says agreeably, following her. The easy conversation has gone a long way to put him at ease after their heavier talk earlier. If he can keep to safe topics, perhaps he’ll survive the next few days until the door to his rooms is repaired. “You know, I really don’t like that title.”

“Oh? Why? I think it’s quite striking,” she admits, reaching the kitchen and pulling open a compartment with many assorted tea bags, mainly from Naboo.

“That’s just it,” he answers, looking through her options for tea and trying to find a scent that agrees with his uneasy stomach. Anakin kidnapped him without thinking to bring his medications, of course. At least the symptoms haven’t been so bad since he started eating properly and sleeping well. “I don’t want to be… imposing. If I go into a negotiation with a reputation like… well, that. It’s like fighting an uphill battle. I prefer being unknown.”

“That makes sense,” Padme admits, briefly biting her lower lip. Strange, to think that the Senate’s pride in their best negotiator has actually hindered his work. Perhaps she should bring the matter to the Chancellor, in private. It might help if he stopped proudly announcing all of _The Team_ ’s successes so they can return to their relative anonymity. “I hadn’t ever thought of it that way.”

The Jedi nods sagely as he finds a tea he likes and puts it into the kettle Padme started for them both. “You'll find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.”

Padme laughs mildly. “Ah, I see what Anakin means, now.”

He quirks a brow up at her in response.

“It’s just,” she stifles more light laughter. “He sometimes complains that you sound like a fortune cookie. Very wise, of course, Master Jedi, but a little ominous and cryptic.”

“I apologize,” He starts with a little, embarrassed smile. “I suppose I still try a bit too hard sometimes to sound like Master Jinn. I didn’t really… know what I was doing when I started training Anakin, so my default response to anything I wasn’t sure how to answer was… ‘what would Qui-Gon say?’ and I suppose I haven’t quite grown out of that habit.”

“I don’t mean to sound rude,” the young senator starts with a small frown, “but from what I’ve seen and heard of him, Qui-Gon Jinn seems like an infuriating person, let alone Jedi, to train under or work with.”

The description turns his smile into a more amused one. “He was,” Obi-Wan agrees warmly. “And quite unapologetically so. I miss him terribly.”

“You’re still being cryptic,” she teasingly complains, getting two ceramiplast mugs out for their tea.

He laughs a little to himself, checking on the kettle. “I’ll be blunt then; Qui-Gon was a bastard and a rogue, quite possibly the objectively worst Jedi I have ever known.” Obi-Wan’s voice holds only fond warmth as he insults his old teacher. “But I wouldn’t have traded him for any other Master. He taught me so many things that the Jedi Code can’t, he shaped who I am as a person, as a jedi. Even in death, he’s been a guide and a comfort to me.” He smiles to himself as he pours them both tea. “If not for him, I wouldn’t even be a Jedi.”

He has more to say, but Padme interjects then. “Don’t say that; if he hadn’t trained you, someone else would have. You’re practically the best Jedi in the Order, or at least Ani thinks so.” She shrugs and takes her tea nonchalantly. “He’d know better than me.”

But Obi-Wan is shaking his head. “No, I mean it. If he hadn’t taken me as his padawan, I was meant for the AgriCorps. He was my last shot at being a Jedi.” He looks down at the mug cupped between his hands, breathing in the scent. “No one else wanted to train me. Not even he did, not really. He initially said no, but there was… well, something happened to change his mind while we were on the same freighter out to Bandomeer. Him for a mission, myself for the AgriCorps.”

Padme looks curious, but he waves her off. “It’s a long story. For another time. I’d rather not recount it just now.”

Her disappointment is clear, but Padme just nods and keeps her smile. “There will be plenty of time for us to talk later,” she agrees.

The Jedi gives a hum that has just the mildest undercurrent of apprehension as he lifts his mug. “I suppose you’re right-- cheers.”

She clinks her mug to his, and quiet once more, they enjoy their tea.

. . .

Well, he couldn’t get out of this forever. Anakin waits in Padme’s empty office area as his commlink connects to Mace Windu’s.

For someone so angry earlier, he sure doesn’t seem to be in a rush to pick up his call now.

When the call does pick up, he is greeted by Master Windu’s customary scowl. “Skywalker, you better have a good explanation.”

He greets the Council member with a nod, arms crossed over his chest irritably. “Of course I do. Though, I was under the impression that a knight’s judgement is already tested and should be trusted.”

“Your objectivity on this matter is in question,” the other man states stiffly.

As much as Anakin hates to admit it… that’s fair. From the outside, his actions don’t exactly seem like those of someone who is being objective. And in all honesty, he _isn’t_ being objective. “That’s why I waited until Obi-Wan woke up to call you. He’s decided to stay here until the door I broke is fixed.”

“And _where_ is ‘here’, exactly?” A muscle in Windu’s face twitches.

Anakin mulls over his answer for a moment before deciding that the truth (or part of it) can’t hurt. “I didn’t think he’d appreciate being alone with me in my rooms after the way I kind of… blew up at him. So, I took him to a friend of ours, Senator Amidala.” The surprise that crosses Windu’s face is vindicating. “She’s generously opened her home to him for the duration.”

“… That is… reasonable.” Mace states, saying the word like he’s surprised to find he actually means it. “We could have found temporary rooming for him here, you know.”

“I know,” the Knight states. “But given his emotional state right now, I thought it best for him not to be alone.”

“Emotional state? Explain.”

His tone puts Anakin a bit on the defensive. “It’s not my place to tell you all the details, but the reason he was unconscious when we left is because after our talk, Obi-Wan _fainted_ — good job putting him through so much stress, by the way—”

Now, Mace’s jaw works angrily, but he keeps his tone even. “Don’t kriff around with me, Skywalker. I’ve seen what you did to his door.”

Anakin gives him a nonchalant shrug. “In the stressed panic that _you_ pushed him to, Mace, he crushed the door’s opening mechanism. I had to get in somehow to help him calm down.”

“If anyone scared him, Skywalker, it was _you._ ”

Mace is right, but that won’t stop Anakin from levelling him with a glare through the holocall. “I’m the one who calmed him down, Windu. And _I’m_ going to take care of him for as long as he’ll let me. Charge me for whatever damages you want to, and don’t bother us for the rest of the week.”

An incredulous sound leaves the Jedi Master’s throat. “The Council isn’t done with either of you yet, Skywalker. We still have to discuss whether Kenobi will remain a General or--”

He’s cut off by a particularly vicious look from Skywalker. “There’s nothing to discuss, Windu. Considering that Obi-Wan _fainted_ over a discussion, he is very obviously in no emotional state to be anywhere near the war right now. And if you try to have him put back on the battlefield anyways, I’ll be happy to alert the Chancellor that we’re allowing pregnant men to fight this war, I’m sure he’d _love_ that.”

“That is a matter for the Council _and Kenobi_ to decide, Skywalker. We will take your opinion into consideration, but it is _not_ your decision to make for him.” The other Jedi Master frowns distrustfully at the Knight. “He said that’s what you would try to do; use the Chancellor to strongarm him onto the sidelines. _I’m_ not gonna stand for it. You’re not sidelining our best General without his say so, Skywalker.” And now Mace has his arms crossed as well. “You said he’s awake, let me talk to him.”

Anakin doesn’t like Mace Windu at the best of times, but right now? He’s almost tempted to go back to the temple just to hit him in that judgmental, scowling face. Or, at least, challenge him to a duel.

No, Padme and Obi-Wan would find that to be very irresponsible and immature of him. And he’s going to be a father, so he needs to figure out how to be more rational, and fast.

Starting with recognizing that Mace kind of has a right to be skeptical of him after how he ran off with an unconscious, pregnant Jedi Master. He doesn’t have to like it… but he has to accept it.

“Of course, Master Windu,” he states testily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with this! Comments and kudos are super appreciated! <3

**Author's Note:**

> I'm mostly done with writing this and I'm just posting in chunks as I edit it, but if you'd like posting updates, I have a [discord server you can click here to join](https://discord.gg/r5yBz7P) where I'll send a message whenever I add a new chapter!


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